Post by: 280plus on February 07, 2006, 02:36:13 PM
Tuesday, February 7, 2006; Posted: 9:18 a.m. EST (14:18 GMT)
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- The car chase capital of the world is going high-tech to end dangerous pursuits across Southern California.
Police Chief William J. Bratton unveiled a strange new weapon in the police department's strategy to halt high-speed pursuits -- adhesive darts with a global positioning system that are fired at fleeing cars by police.
Once fired from a patrol car, the GPS dart is designed to stick to a fleeing car, allowing squad cars to back off the chase.
"Instead of us pushing them doing 70 or 80 miles an hour," Bratton said, "this device allows us not to have to pursue after the car. It allows us to start vectoring where the car is."
U.S. Department of Justice officials suggested testing the StarChase system in Los Angeles. A small number of patrol cars will be equipped with the compressed air launchers, which fire the miniature GPS receivers in a sticky compound resembling a golf ball.
There were more than 600 pursuits in Los Angeles and more than 100,000 nationwide last year. Critics have long questioned the wisdom of police pursuits because they can endanger bystanders and officers.
Bratton, who often calls the city the car chase capital of the world, was asked why there are so many pursuits in Los Angeles: "There are a lot of nuts here," he said.
Post by: RadioFreeSeaLab on February 07, 2006, 02:44:35 PM
Quote
Bratton, who often calls the city the car chase capital of the world, was asked why there are so many pursuits in Los Angeles: "There are a lot of nuts here," he said.
He's got that right.
Post by: 280plus on February 07, 2006, 04:18:39 PM
Post by: LawDog on February 07, 2006, 04:56:58 PM
I know, just know, that before the end of the year there's going to be a felon who winds up "accidently" intercepting a GPS gumball with his forehead.
I'm going to watch this one and see if the number of people fleeing the police actually goes up.
I think it probably will.
The gumball tracks the car, not who's in it, or who's driving it.
Going to be a bit interesting.
LawDog
Post by: Antibubba on February 07, 2006, 06:43:58 PM
Post by: K Frame on February 07, 2006, 07:47:50 PM
Spike strips my ass...
Post by: griz on February 08, 2006, 04:00:35 AM
Post by: 280plus on February 08, 2006, 04:11:23 AM
How about a little sticky Chuck Norris robot or something. They could shoot him at the car, he would stick and then he could crawl his way inside, deliver a roundhouse kick to the driver and guide the car to a safe stop. Brilliant or what?
Post by: Nathaniel Firethorn on February 08, 2006, 08:00:34 AM
Quote from: LawDog
I know, just know, that before the end of the year there's going to be a felon who winds up "accidently" intercepting a GPS gumball with his forehead.
So that's how it worked in Phantasm?
- NF