LA Cops To Use GPS Spitballs

February 5, 2006 | In: Cars Trucks, GPS Systems, Portable Media

According to this Information Week story:

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) will become the first law enforcement agency to outfit cars with a device that propels and sticks a Global Positioning System (GPS) onto a fleeing car.

The department will mount the StarChase LLC device in the grill of some squad cars in the fall. “Officers in the car would control a green lazar light, similar to an aiming device that fixes on your target,” said LAPD Lieutenant Paul Vernon on Friday. “A small dart-like device is propelled from the officer’s car.”

So instead of doing 80mph car chases to apprehend perps, the cops will be tagging vehicles with a GPS transmitter encased in a sticky epoxy compound. The signal is then traced via a complicated system that sends the vehicle’s location back to the officers computer so they can persue safely.

Excellent idea and it should dramatically decrease the danger of high speed chases, but what if they miss and end up tagging a bag lady’s cart?

[Source: Informationweek Via: Digg]