One time, he asked for a hamburger and milkshake. Another time, he said it was his bedtime and he’d talk to everyone tomorrow. Since May 15, the unidentified prankster, whose voice appears to be male, has hacked into the radio frequency used by Cherokee County police and firefighters more than 50 times.
But it’s no laughing matter, and the person responsible could face federal and state charges, according to the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office.
“It could be potentially life-threatening,” Lt. Jay Baker told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
DO YOU RECOGNIZE THIS VOICE?
That’s because the radio system is how deputies and firefighters constantly communicate, Baker said.
“A police radio is the officer’s lifeline to his back-up and the 911 dispatcher,” Baker said. “If they’re involved in some type of life-threatening situation, they don’t have time to pick up a phone and call 911. They use that radio all the time.”
The Federal Communication Commission has been notified and investigators hope someone will recognize the voice and alert authorities. The prankster is believed to in the area, Baker said.
Although hacking a police radio frequency is unusual, it does happen. In January 2018, a hacker made international headlines when a New Zealand police radio frequency was used to repeatedly broadcast a song by N.W.A. called “(expletive) Tha Police.”
Anyone with information on the Cherokee County case is urged to call 911 or investigators at 770-928-0239.
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