GPS "Bullet" Tracks Fleeing Suspects

StarChase GPS Tag

High-speed police pursuits, as readers are well aware, are dangerous and unpredictable. When a suspect makes the decision to flee, he or she—realizing it or not—leverages that danger against the pursuing officer's duty to uphold the law. The vast majority of chases are the result of non-violent crimes, a large percentage of which are traffic violations, but that doesn't mean an officer can simply let every suspect go. When engaging in a high-speed pursuit, an officer follows his or her obligation to enforce the law, even as it poses a clear risk to public safety (42% of those killed or injured in police pursuits areinnocent bystanders. One in every hundred high-speed pursuits results in a fatality). Research has shown that most suspects drive more slowly and are less of a hazard on the road if they believe that they are not being chased. In a perfect world, officers would never have to engage in dangerous chases, but as suspects continue to flee, they continue to be a part of police work.

The StarChase System aims to reduce or eliminate the need for high-speed pursuits using a projectile GPS device that would be right at home in a spy movie. An air cannon mounted to the front of the patrol vehicle launches the projectile, or tag, which adheres to the suspect's vehicle. The tag, which is a bit smaller than a can of Coke, transmits a signal via satellite to a web server that can then be accessed remotely to monitor the suspect's location and movements. The officer is now able to drop back, allowing police to strategically intervene at lower speeds, reducing the risk to human life.

Product Spotlight: StarChase Pursuit Management System

High-peed police pursuits and the inherent risk of injury and death that can result constitute an important law enforcement and public safety issue. Police pursuits are dangerous. Available data indicate that the number of pursuits continues to increase, as well as the number of pursuit-related injuries and deaths. Federal statistics show that more than half of all police chases are triggered by such incidents  and that 40% of these chases result in crashes.  Officers face the basic dilemma associated with high-speed pursuits of fleeing suspects: Do the benefits of potential apprehension outweigh the risks of endangering the public and the police?

Unfortunately, high speed pursuits do happen.  StarChase has created a technology that virtually eliminates the need to put the local community at risk.  StarChase launches a sticky GPS tracker onto a fleeing vehicle. Police officers can then monitor this GPS signal through the dispatch office or through the computers in their vehicles.  As well as reducing the dangers and risks involved in police pursuits, the StarChase Pursuit Management System saves time, money and – most importantly – lives.


How Does It Work?

1. A compressed-air launcher, mounted behind the grille of a police cruiser, uses a laser to target the fleeing vehicle. It discharges a projectile/tag containing the GPS module.
2. The projectile adheres to the suspect vehicle and transmits coordinates back to dispatch.
3. The dispatcher then views the location and movements of the tagged vehicle in near real-time on a digital roadmap via a secure Internet connection. 

See It In Action