Colorado Police Now Using GPS Darts to Track Suspects
It looks like James Bond type technology is coming to Colorado.
The police department in Arvada, Colo. became the first and to this point, the only department in the state to use the darts to track suspect vehicles. Instead of chasing after suspects, officers can fire the dart into the vehicle and, use computer software, track the suspects.
The software, called StarChase darts, allow officers to track the vehicle in "real time" and avoid dangerous and often fatal high-speed chases. The darts use a proprietary adhesive to stick to the vehicles and broadcast the position of the vehicle to the squad car, who can then track it safely and avoid the dangerous high-speed chases that have often resulted in major injuries and death.
The cost to law enforcement is around $5,000 per vehicle with approximately $1,000 per year per vehicle to maintain. Compare this to the overwhelming cost involved when a high-speed chase goes wrong, as it often does, and you can see how more agencies would benefit from this technology.
The company also says that the ACLU states, that when the technology is used correctly, is compliant with the 4th Amendment concerning illegal search and seizure.
With technology like this available already, it will only be a matter of time until high-speed pursuits are a thing of the past!