Like something out of "Stars Wars," Global Positioning Systems, or GPS, are becoming more widely used in many aspects of commercial and civilian life. GPS is used by public transportation and commercial delivery companies to track their vehicles, by people utilizing video map displays on their dashboards and by emergency, fire and police personnel. Here are some ways GPS is used in law enforcement.
Instructions
1. Monitor the location of patrol cars and police officers using GPS. This is particularly helpful when sending help to officers in need of assistance.
2. Track and recover stolen cars equipped with GPS. Rather than giving chase, such a stolen vehicle can be tracked by law enforcement officials over a long distance and apprehension of the thief can be made once the car reaches its destination.
3. Allow police officers to know their own location by utilizing GPS video map directories inside patrol cars and other law enforcement vehicles. This can help increase response times to emergencies.
4. Access needed information quickly using GPS. Fingerprints, license numbers and images of wanted individuals, for instance, can be transmitted quickly via satellite using GPS.
5. Place GPS bracelets on paroled criminals to monitor their movements. This technology can also be used to enforce restraining orders by having suspected individuals equipped with GPS bracelets as well.
6. Use GPS-equipped vehicles and other equipment as bait in law enforcement operations. Bait vehicles have already been used to target stolen car rings with much success. GPS devices could be installed in construction machinery and even computers to aid in sting operations.
Tags: equipped with, patrol cars, police officers, utilizing video
