L.A. to use new weapon for speed chases

[Motrv8d Steve]

Car-chase Capital Deploys New Weapon — GPS Gum Balls

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.

Hey I grew up in L.A. county... he's right, there are a LOT of nuts driving around, dat fo' sho!...

[Honboy1]

It gets harder and harder to get away with anything anymore. I guess the best advice I can give is, "don't break the law!"

[john]

Cops are going to find those things sitting on the side of the road after they have been pulled off the car being chased, or attached to cars that are abandoned after the police stop chasing them.


john

[FasstChevys]

Cops are going to find those things sitting on the side of the road after they have been pulled off the car being chased, or attached to cars that are abandoned after the police stop chasing them.


john

Probably not if a helicopter is following the homing device. They'll know exactly where the vehicle stopped. Not to mention, they'll be radioing ahead.

J.

[INandOUTBurger]

call me crazy i thought the point was to catch the HUMAN OFFENDER.....not find the car abandonned after the fact

what they need to fire is the lead....and a LOT of it....bet chases go WAY down after that

[Motrv8d Steve]

yeah I wondered what would happen if they stopped the car and took off the thing and then kept going...
or what if they missed when they shot at the car?

[SLIM_DURST]

seems like car chases happen in LA all the time is because they want to get attention. it all started with CHiPs

[Motrv8d Steve]

i just think most of these bad dudes get swept up in the moment and thnk they can outrun the cops. these people are not the sharpest pins in the cushion.

[86 IROC-Z]

I can't wait until they come out with the things they had it 2 fast2 furious, the electorstatic crossbow thing that shot into the side of the car and shut down the electric system...

[LS1 Eddie]

Whats gonna happen to Worlds Scariest Police videos????

[toneloc60]

That would mean they have to get close enough to hit the car with that gps ball. Good luck.

[Motrv8d Steve]

Whats gonna happen to Worlds Scariest Police videos????

might run them right out of business, eh?