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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Hitchhiker arrested after allegedly trying to stab Central Point man who gave her a ride Sign of frustration The curtain drops on Southwest Oregon fire season 10 things to know for Wednesday Wehby goes after Merkley in Medford debate Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Hitchhiker arrested after allegedly trying to stab Central Point man who gave her a ride Sign of frustration The curtain drops on Southwest Oregon fire season Emergency services Pacific Power impostors at it again in Southern Oregon Politics and Elections Ward 3 Q&A: Don Libby Ward 3 Q&A: Kevin Stine Two newcomers vie for Richardson's seat Ward 2 Q&A: Clay Bearnson Ward 2 Q&A: Marlene Nuckols Education Phoenix High School restores homecoming parade EP school district launches new app Striving to make the grade Fresh produce goes home with Jackson Elementary families State mandates eye exams for kids 7 and younger Environment Fear of orphaned cubs nixes new spring bear hunt Josephine County ballot measure would ban commercial and government pesticide use Low water exposes Emigrant Lake's past Wagner Creek work would restore streambank Deer-killing disease won't taint meat for hunters State news Nation - World Obituaries Lawrence Dale Edwards Lorraine A. 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Wehby goes after Merkley in Medford debate ... Boles fire arson suspect pleads not guilty ... Sign of frustration ... Wehby goes after Merkley in Medford debate ... Boles fire arson suspect pleads not guilty ... Cell phones cause hang-up for police to track drug deals But they can be a double-edged sword for criminals as law enforcement is getting better at cracking them Veteran drug cops can recall the good old days when it was possible to monitor drug dealers by staking out phone booths. By chris conrad MailTribune.com By chris conrad Posted Oct. 3, 2010 @ 12:40 am Updated Oct 3, 2010 at 3:40 AM By chris conrad Posted Oct. 3, 2010 @ 12:40 am Updated Oct 3, 2010 at 3:40 AM » Social News Veteran drug cops can recall the good old days when it was possible to monitor drug dealers by staking out phone booths. Those days are long gone, as drug dealers now use cell phones to conduct business, making them harder to pin down, Medford police Deputy Chief Tim George said. "Cell phones have made it harder to contain the drug business because dope dealers have become very mobile," George said. "When I was on patrol, I used to monitor phone booths because that's where they would go to make deals. Now you're lucky if you can even find a phone booth that even works." Disposable cell phones, which are sold at various department stores and markets around the county, are popular with drug dealers, George said. Calls made on these prepaid disposable phones are difficult to trace and often dealers will dump them after a few uses, George said. A recent large-scale drug bust, deemed "Street Sweeper" by Medford police, is case-in-point in how the drug market has changed with new technology, George said. "Street Sweeper" netted more than 20 low-level drug dealers from across Jackson County. Cops who worked that case said a large chunk of the transactions made by the dealers were via cell phone. Instead of moving a hefty amount of product at one time for sale, drug dealers now carry small amounts of drugs to various points for sale. "The dealers set up their transactions through quick cell phone calls and text messages," George said. "It's hard to keep track of them." However, the prevalence of cell phones in the drug business is a double-edged sword for criminals, said Central Point Sgt. Josh Moulin, who is the supervisor of the Southern Oregon High-Tech Crimes Task Force. Moulin's team is tasked with cracking into cell phones confiscated from drug dealers. Digital forensic examiners have found a wealth of damning evidence stored on cell phones over the years, Moulin said. "For some reason, a lot of people in the narcotics world enjoy taking pictures of themselves either doing or selling drugs," Moulin said. "We've found a lot of images of people in possession of large amounts of drugs. It makes for good cases." Also, examiners can link call histories from cell phones, which allows them to track drug networks that can reach across the entire West Coast, Moulin said. "We work with state and federal agencies in these larger cases," Moulin said. Examiners can snatch valuable information from the disposable cell phones, but these cases take more time to complete, Moulin said. "There are times when we can pull deleted information off any cell phone," Moulin said. "But it depends on the type of phone and the provider. There are a lot of variables we work with." George and Moulin said officers will need to keep up with the changing technology in the coming years. "A lot of the new iPhones are like powerful little computers that can fit in your pocket," Moulin said. "It's a challenge we are going to face going forward." Reach reported Chris Conrad at 541-776-4471 or e-mail [email protected]. By chris conrad MailTribune.com By chris conrad Posted Oct. 3, 2010 @ 12:40 am Updated Oct 3, 2010 at 3:40 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. 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