CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — Investigators in Cherokee County are asking for help matching a voice with a face and name--a voice that's potentially putting lives at risk.
According to the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, a man's voice has interrupted emergency radio frequencies for their deputies as well as county firefighters and EMS personnel several times.
“He’s breaking [into] legitimate and important police activity or fire activity,” Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Communication Director Jay Baker said.
He added that whoever the radio hacker is, he could endanger everyone involved who might be responding - or need help.
“A deputy could be calling out for help, he could be calling for assistance, he could be giving out life-threatening information for other people to know about, or giving a description of something urgent," Baker said. "Meanwhile someone’s making a joke about donuts over the police radio.”
It apparently began on May 15--someone with a two-way radio figured out how to transmit on secure radio frequencies dedicated to law enforcement, fire and EMS in Cherokee County. And investigators say the same man has taken over those frequencies, for a few seconds at a time, more than 50 times since then, so far. The person interrupting the emergency radio traffic is even trying to duplicate emergency fire tones used to alert firefighters to an emergency.
Now, they're releasing some of the recorded transmissions, hoping that someone will recognize his voice and help detectives find the man.
When they do, the person responsible will find out the charges are far steeper than anything tied to a prank call, according to Chief Marshal Ron Hunton.
"If a suspect is identified during this investigation, they will be charged with federal and state crimes," Hunton said. "This type of interference on public safety radio frequencies will not be tolerated."
As to those federal charges - the Federal Communications Commission is already investigating and trying to trace the transmissions.
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