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StarChase system helps Mo. officers cut down on pursuits

Using technology to track vehicles, officers can avoid unsafe high-speed pursuits

By Bridgit Bowden
National Public Radio

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Police officers have to make complicated, split-second decisions every day — and whether or not to chase a fleeing suspect is no exception. And they often have to make this decision while driving a car at very high speeds.

Technology could help cut down on the number of pursuits. Police already use helicopters and may use drones in the future. There’s also StarChase, a system that shoots a GPS-tracking dart from the front of a police car onto a fleeing vehicle.

“We’ve had officers that have tagged vehicles and report back that instead of jumping in their car and flying up to 100 miles an hour, they walked back to their vehicle, they get on the radio with dispatch, and they coordinate the takedown using the GPS and there’s no need for high speeds,” says company president Trevor Fischbach.

Full Story: In Hot Pursuit of Public Safety, Police Consider Fewer Car Chases