Star Chase System: GPS Bullets for Car Chases

Everyone loves a good police chase; except, well maybe the police and any pedestrians who might be in the area. While high-speed police car chases may be exciting on the big screen, they are anything but exciting to the police officers in real life. More than 360 officers are killed each year as a result of high-speed car chases. Those numbers could be changing in the future, though, thanks to a newer piece of police technology known as the Star Chase System.

What is the Star Chase System?

Admittedly, this new piece of equipment sounds like it’s taken straight out of a science fiction movie. Using a “cannon” mounted in front of the grill on a police cruiser, the Star Chase System uses compressed air to shoot a GPS tag onto a targeted vehicle. Once the GPS tag is attached, dispatchers can continually monitor the whereabouts of the vehicle in question and relay the information to the officers involved. This allows any police who may have been involved in a high-speed car chase to slow down and wait until it is safe to make a stop.

Currently, only 2 states are testing out this equipment: Iowa and Florida. If it proves successful, though, the Star Chase System could undoubtedly save a countless number of lives in all 50 states. It’s not just the police and those they are chasing who are injured or killed, though; it is also any vehicles and pedestrians who find themselves in the middle of the pursuit. If it works, it seems like a no-brainier for every police department in the country to get this equipment. The only problem may be it’s cost effectiveness – each cannon system will reportedly cost around $5000, and that price does not include any of the GPS tags which will cost another $500. This amount will surely be difficult for smaller towns and cities.

To view videos and facts about the Star Chase System, please visit Star Chase’s website. Or you can see their old promo video below-it has aged a bit though!

[Images via Policemag & caradvice]