"James Bond device may end police pursuits" / Iowa State Patrol Using Star Chase GPS

HILO

Member
May 20, 2010
2,781
Grand Prairie Texas

GaryErrol

Member
May 28, 2010
308
Indianapolis
I can envision in the not to distant future new born infants being implanted with a GPS/micro chip. No need to carry money, credit cards, driver license, etc... Just have your chip scanned and go! And with GPS locator, if you commit a crime, they will instantly know where to go to arrest you. While probably not legal today, new technology and new judges in the coming years, might bring changes!
 

Brian H

Member
May 25, 2010
296
Iowa
As some of you know I dispatch for ISP fulltime, I was working yesterday when Tim had his pursuit. I'm not going to get into the legality and politics of the system but it's very cool and once he tags the vehicle we can see updates and track the vehicle in 5 sec intervals I believe it is. Didn't anyone notice the lightbar!?
 

tvsjr

Member
Oct 7, 2012
611
TX
GaryErrol said:
I can envision in the not to distant future new born infants being implanted with a GPS/micro chip. No need to carry money, credit cards, driver license, etc... Just have your chip scanned and go! And with GPS locator, if you commit a crime, they will instantly know where to go to arrest you. While probably not legal today, new technology and new judges in the coming years, might bring changes!

You sound almost excited by that prospect. Expect civil war if that kind of shit goes on.
 

LRGJr72

Member
May 29, 2010
790
Detroit, Michigan
HILO said:
I like the idea, but the Supreme Court has ruled slap on GPS unconstitutional without a warrant. And this is exactly slap on GPS. Hopefully a mini EMP can be developed.


Courts Uphold Ruling That Warrantless 'Slap-On' GPS Units Are Unconstitutional - Translogic

Slap-on GPS devices are unconstitutional when used "from a cold start" for snooping, tracking or general investigative purposes. However, when something like this is deployed after a vehicle refuses to stop for police... this is an entirely different legal scenario.
 

Zapp Brannigan

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 23, 2010
3,580
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Gated Wye said:
I suck... Will delete the post

TSFIYF


Also, you can just close your own thread, under "Administrative" in the Grey bar above the first post. Post will not be deleted.
 

Jarred J.

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 21, 2010
11,580
Shelbyville, TN
:welcome:


:D
 

mcpd2025

Member
May 20, 2010
1,557
Maryland, USA
HEY... DID YOU GUYS SEE THE NEW PURSUIT TOOL THAT IOWA STATE POLICE HAVE???!!!


Everyone else did it, I wanted to too.


This is interesting technology, but I don't see it being a viable long term solution. First of all, once criminals realize this they have a multitude of options to defeat it. For example, as soon as police back off they can ditch the car. Second, they can get out and remove the device from their vehicle and hop right back in and keep going. Third, even if you eventually track and arrest someone you have no proof that they are the ones that ran from you. Fourth, at $5000 per system plus $500 per module it is VERY expensive to outfit enough cars to make it a viable tool.


I like HILO's option of an EMP... but wonder about its usefulness. If you hit the back of someone's car and trigger the EMP, how powerful does it need to be to cut out the engine? If it can reach through 15 feet of sheet metal, seat cushions and firewall, if can also potentially get the cars next to the suspect vehicle too. That becomes awfully expensive as the police department now has to replace the civilian vehicles that it just destroyed.


I like the idea, but I just don't think that this is the solution. Still too much incentive to run and too little risk of being captured. The worst part is, the police get blamed for crashes that occur during a pursuit, not the suspect who is running.
 

rettoded

Member
Aug 12, 2011
90
Berks County,PA
OK so after having seeing the neat technology, and seeing HILO's post from "The Fast and The Furious", I was reminded of an old TV program about pursuit technologies that I saw some time in the mid 1990's. I did some searching but couldn't find anything. Then this thread kept popping up, and the gears in my head began to spin faster as I remembered more and more about this program, and some of the technologies introduced, inclduing a vehicle mounted device that used electricity to disable a cars electronics.


At first I found this device (US patent here) but this uses fluids and electricity to stop a vehicle. Interesting, but not what I was looking for.


Next, I found this Fast and Furious-esque device (US patent info here). Very intimidating looking, and some potential in this device, but again not what I was looking for.


Finally I found it: The Road Patriot. As this NIJ article from 1996 describes:

The Road Patriot is an automatically guided rocket-powered unit that is designed to stop a target vehicle by emitting an electromagnetic energy pulse that disrupts the vehicle’s engine controls and associated sensors. The unit mounts underneath the bumper of a pursuit vehicle and is activated by a
triggering mechanism that lowers the unit within 1 second to ground level, where it is then launched. Propelled by the rocket at a speed of 20 miles per hour


faster than the pursuit vehicle, the device can be launched at up to seven car lengths behind the vehicle in pursuit. Once disabled, the vehicle is drivable


only in a “limper mode” before coming to a safe, rolling stop.

Bingo! Exactly the device I remembered. But as you can see, the website appears broken and very out of date. So a bit more digging brought up this research paper


which states on page 6:

The Road Patriot was tested by several agencies, however,never made it into production. Conditions had to be perfect for the device to work and
practical application could not be achieved. The entire concept appears to have been abandoned by 2000.

So it appears this was just a prototype that went no where. Using The Internet Archive, I was able to locate pictures of the The Road Patriot.


I do see some promise in StarChase, but I think the cost to purchase and implement it will scare away agencies. It is interesting to see how pursuit technologies, policies, and techniques have evolved over the past 20 years.
 

Torpedo

Member
May 9, 2012
583
USA Fl
Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't GM's Onstar system offer idle down via satellite. If not I'm sure it's not a big leap from the ability to unlock doors, etc...seems like a no brainer with more cars using digital encoder/servo throttle ipo cable operated. It's coming. Soon there will be no more high speed pursuits. Another great feature would be an interior motion detector/high temp alarm tied into power windows and an audible alarm so that pets and babies could no longer be forgotten/locked in cars. The technology is already out there, just needs applied. Next comes on board C0 monitor with shut down so when baby plays with the remote start key ring he doesn't off the entire household with a car idling in the garage.


:bonk:
 

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