GPS Tracking Could Make High Speed Chases A Thing Of The Past

By Cheryl Knight, contributing writer

High-speed chases, on average, killed 323 people per year between 1982 and 2004. Recent innovations in GPS technology might provide an alternative through tracking suspects, rather than the need for dangerous high speed chases. An article in The Anniston Star discusses the potential for such technology and how it could save hundreds of lives each year.

How The Solution Works And Benefits Law Enforcement

A device sits within the front grill area of a police cruiser that, when a chase begins, allows a police officer to fire a tracking device at the suspect’s vehicle. The tracker sticks to the vehicle and then transmits the suspect’s vehicles location in real time back to the police dispatcher, who works closely with the tailing officers to track the vehicle to a location where they can make an arrest without first engaging in a chase. One system, called the StarChase GPS system, has received support, including from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Jay Stanley, ACLU senior policy analyst, says in the Anniston Star article such technology “has the potential to obviate the need for high-speed pursuits by police cars through cities and towns, which are very dangerous and kill hundreds each year, with a third or more of those fatalities being innocent bystanders.”

Challenges To Overcome

The biggest concern about using this type of solution is with the influx of data during their use and the ability to accurately process it. And according to Police Chief Magazine, many agencies might be ill-prepared for the amount of data they can expect to receive when using new technologies. To make full use of GPS-enabled devices, departments must be ready to fully integrate them into the agency’s IT management plan, according to the article.

This solution could join technologies including license plate readers, new camera systems, and on-site fingerprint readers, all designed to make police work safer and easier.