We’ve seen sticky GPS tracker darts used by law enforcement before, but they’re surprisingly uncommon. But they’re in the news again after White Settlement Police Department in Texas successfully deployed one to track a Kia which was reported stolen.
Porsche Cayman running from police causes a fatal crash.
When an officer got a hit on a Kia’s license plate, instead of initiating a chase he used the department’s latest toy. It performed beautifully, providing officers with the location, speed, and direction of the vehicle being tracked.
However, the whole exercise was a false alarm. After pulling the Kia over and ordering the occupants out at gunpoint, it was revealed the rightful owner was behind the wheel. He’d simply forgotten to tell police he recovered his vehicle on his own.
Still, White Settlement Police say the sticky dart system is “intuitive” and “easy” to operate. It looks simple enough, with a few controls in the cruiser cabin which opens the cover, then shoots a dart which sticks to the back of the fleeing vehicle. Then it’s just a matter of tracking the vehicle down.
At this point you’re probably wondering why the sticky GPS dart isn’t being used by every department and isn’t installed on every police car out there. After all, high-speed chases are dangerous and often result in damage to law enforcement vehicles.
The problem is, as is often the case, cost. While White Settlement Police Department can apparently foot the $20,000 cost per vehicle, presenting a tremendous drain on resources for larger departments with big fleets. There are departments which struggle to have funding for tasers and other equipment some people seem to think just appears like heavenly manna.
In other words, don’t hold your breath about your local police department getting this toy anytime soon.
Image via WFAA
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