Criminals have long been of the view that if you can outpace the police in a getaway vehicle, then freedom will be yours. 

That, however, might be about to change. While it might sound like something straight out of a Jason Bourne movie, police officers in the US are using GPS “Dart Trackers” during police car chases, in which a GPS tracker is fired toward a suspect’s vehicle, so that they can track the vehicle even if the criminals make an escape.

Advanced Technology Assisting Police Officers

You’ll likely have heard of GPS trackers, which are handy little navigation devices that can be attached to vehicles (among other possessions) to keep track of their movement and location. 

Last month, it was revealed that police in Connecticut had attached a GPS tracker to a getaway vehicle which resulted in the arrest of two suspects accused of retail theft. The tracker, which is initially attached to the exterior part of the police vehicle, can be launched by officers inside the vehicle. Once it’s on the suspect’s vehicle, the police officers can simply track the GPS, avoiding the need to engage in a high-speed pursuit.

As you might expect, the use of Dart Trackers has resulted in privacy vs public safety concerns. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits and drawbacks of the technology.

Police Dart Trackers: The Benefits 

Public Safety Benefits

Police car chases are inherently dangerous, not just for police officers and those in the getaway vehicle, but also for the general public, who may be inadvertently caught up in the pursuit. GPS dart trackers allow officers to avoid dangerous pursuits without having to let the criminal get away.

Enhances Police Efforts

Police officers have to make quick decisions, especially in scenarios where there’s a risk to human well-being (for instance, kidnapping and trafficking, dangerous criminals getting away). GPS Dart Trackers allow police enforcement to take action rather than doing nothing. 

Privacy Issues

The Constitutional Implications

GPS Dart Trackers may be effective, but they’re also unconstitutional — or at least that’s the view of some lawmakers, who argue that GPS Dart Trackers violate the Fourth Amendment, which says that police officers need a warrant to conduct a search. Whether attaching a GPS Dart Tracker constitutes a search, however, is up for debate. 

Prolonged Surveillance

A GPS Dart Tracker might be fine if the suspect is apprehended a few minutes later, but prolonged surveillance in which their location and movement are tracked on a longer-term basis raises ethical questions.

Police Forces Increasingly Using GPS Tracking Technology

GPS tracking technology in the police force is here to stay, but how, when, or even if police forces should be using GPS tracking technology without a warrant is up for debate. In Connecticut, lawmakers are already putting the brakes on the use of GPS Dart Trackers until its legal status can be clarified. One thing’s for sure — with GPS technology ever-improving, it seems inevitable that police forces across the country will become increasingly reliant on GPS tracking as part of their operations.