Florida police testing GPS tracking device tasked with ending high-speed pursuits

[Shawn Knight]

The St. Petersburg police department is the first agency in the state of Florida to publically test a new GPS tracking device tasked with putting an end to deadly high-speed police chases. The technology is called Starchase and is essentially a James Bond-like cannon mounted to the front of a cop car that shoots a sticky GPS tracking device at target vehicles.

Once a vehicle is “tagged,” the pursuit can be called off which allows police to continue to track the getaway vehicle in real-time using GPS technology at a safe distance. With any luck, unsuspecting criminals will also slow down once they think they’ve shaken the 5-O.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/54496-florida-police-testing-gps-tracking-device-tasked-with-ending-high-speed-pursuits.html

 

[SalaSSin]

So, while not being chased, the criminal stops, gets the sticky off his car, and continues happily ever after? Genius!

 

[t3chn0vamp]

Just lube the back of the car with baby oil and the device will slide off the car ! Problem Solved !!!

 

[insect]

Guns are cheaper and also work. I have no problem with police shooting people dumb enough to run and endanger others. A vehicle is a deadly weapon just as a gun is - If I start waving a gun in the air around people I expect to be shot. Same goes for if I start speeding a car through traffic.

 

[wastedkill]

So let me get this straight you make the best device to track criminals and you make it public.. You already failed big time! Making it public tells criminals what's happening and how to prevent being sticking and how to take the sticky off.

Well done for letting criminals know your smarter then they are, atleast they don't tell you their plans beforehand.

 

[cliffordcooley]

Just make it a true cannon and we will all (with the exception of those willing to test their odds) be safer.

 

[ET3D]

Guns are cheaper and also work. I have no problem with police shooting people dumb enough to run and endanger others.

If a bullet misses its target, it can kill someone in another car. If a tracker misses its target, it will track another car. The choice should be obvious.

So let me get this straight you make the best device to track criminals and you make it public.. You already failed big time! Making it public tells criminals what's happening and how to prevent being sticking and how to take the sticky off.

There will be several types of criminals:
- Those who haven't heard of the device, and will be easier to catch.
- Those who have and get into a chase situation anyway without caring.
- Those who have and decide as a result that it's not worth getting into a chase situation.
- Those who have and think it will be easy to remove, try to stop and remove the device and get caught because they've been tracked and they stopped.
- Those who try to remove the device without stopping, and have a good chance of dying.
- Those who come prepared with whatever materials they think might help (and we don't know how easy it will be to circumvent the device). Not practical in many cases (such as car snatching).

I think that the really clever criminals, those who try to coat their cars so the device won't stick, or whatever counter measures, aren't those which will get with that car into a speed chase anyway.

 

[wastedkill]

A lot of people that become criminals just go for something they want instead of thinking it through which is here a LOT of criminals end up getting caught, the small ones that do think of a plan and another plan in case of x/y/z not working will find a way to prevent being tagged.

One way would to simply use a Jammer of some sort, the ones that do plan it out right probably wont have the police alerted until its too late anyway but still this seems like a big doozie to showcase your crime fighting techniques with some criminals out their tuning in and finding out ways to prevent being tagged or prevent the tag from working once it hits the car.

 

[Chis2k]

When the cops back off...that's when you're out of sight and can escape by ditching the car. Personally I'd take the tracker off and stick it on another vehicle!

 

[ET3D]

When the cops back off...that's when you're out of sight and can escape by ditching the car. Personally I'd take the tracker off and stick it on another vehicle!

And while you're trying valiantly for several minutes to remove it from the car, the local police will pick you up.

By the way, a lot of car chases are after stolen cars, so if the thief's solution is to ditch the car, at least he gained nothing by the theft, even if he does manage to get away.

 

[cliffordcooley]

By the way, a lot of car chases are after stolen cars, so if the thief's solution is to ditch the car, at least he gained nothing by the theft, even if he does manage to get away.

And hopefully discourages them from trying again.

 

[wiyosaya]

Criminal comes armed with GPS jammer. Problem solved.