How Do You Set Up A “No Phone Zone”?

Cell phones are a modern marvel, but they can also be a tremendous problem for any organization trying to enforce security or safeguard confidential information. The effects of contraband cell phones can be tremendous. Cell phones have been used to intimidate witnesses in criminal courtrooms, break prisoners out of jail and steal classified information.

The private sector isn’t immune to the risks of smuggled cell phones. Attendees use them to record concerts. Students use them to cheat on tests. They’re also unwelcome guests in call centers, secure facilities and confidential meetings. The infamous “47 percent” quote that may have cost Republican candidate Mitt Romney the 2012 Presidential election was secretly recorded on a cell phone at a private fundraiser where phones were prohibited.

Ineffective Detection Tools

The major challenge in keeping cell phones out is they are easily concealed inside clothing and handbags. The recent mobile trend is toward larger smartphones, but feature phones are still readily available and some models are smaller than a credit card. These old-school devices are primitive compared to modern smartphones, but they are capable of sending and receiving texts, recording audio and taking pictures and video.

Conventional metal detectors can find many phones, but walkthrough units are bulky and not portable. Handheld wands are portable, but their range is limited to a few inches so an operator must sweep the detector over the subject’s entire body. Both types will alert to other metal objects.

Most cell phone detectors rely on radio frequency signals to locate devices, but they are ineffective if the phone is powered off or has the wireless antenna disabled. Fortunately, there are tools available to specifically uncover hidden cellular devices, even if they’re not transmitting.

Effective Detection Tools

The BVS SentryHound is a portable cell phone detection system that scans subjects as they walk between two posts. It’s very similar to the anti-theft scanners retailers use to prevent shoplifting, but instead of security tags it detects ferromagnetic compounds inside the phone. The posts have a single row of LED lights running their entire length. When the SentryHound finds a device, it sounds an audible alert and illuminates the section of lights closest to the phone. It can also trigger an external device such as a security camera or remote alarm.

The Manta Ray is a handheld cell phone detector that also detects ferromagnetic compounds. Operators can use it to scan handbags, luggage and small parcels without opening them. Buckles and studs will not trigger false alarms.

The SentryHound and Manta Ray are ideal for temporary and permanent “no phone zones.” They allow operators to scan subjects and their possessions quickly and effectively, without labor-intensive searches or compromising the subject’s privacy and dignity.