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Daily Record
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Record
Police will fire sticky tracker ‘darts' onto vehicles to avoid deadly high-speed chases
Police Scotland is to pilot the high-tech GPS kit in a bid to avoid hot pursuits which put the public at risk. Police will fire sticky tracker 'darts' onto vehicles to slash the danger posed by high-speed chases in Scotland. The force has shelled out £450,000 to pilot high-tech kit which allows cops to launch GPS devices onto cars and stalk suspects remotely in a bid to avoid a hot pursuit through the streets. The move comes after a string of officers were injured and members of the public were killed as a result of car chases in recent years and follows the lead of other police forces in the UK and US. Police Scotland confirmed it would be delivering a pilot of the devices 'in selected areas of Scotland'. And a road safety expert yesterday said their use could be a 'significant step' in reducing the threat police pursuits pose to the public. Nicholas Lyes, Policy and Standards Director at IAM RoadSmart, a charity formerly known as The Institute Of Advanced Motorists, said: 'Despite the fact police are highly trained in pursuits like these they still pose a potential danger to our roads. 'While the police are highly trained, the person that they're chasing is clearly not. Every time there is a chase on the road the risk to pedestrians and everyone else goes up significantly. 'Any technological advance that can reduce the chances of this happening could be a significant step. 'While this doesn't necessarily stop the criminals who are being chased from driving really dangerously, it can reduce the amount of time they're on the road because police can track them and stop them more quickly.' The contract for the new trackers was awarded to GMK Ltd - a top supplier of firearms and related tactical products into the UK Police, Emergency Services, and Ministry of Defence. In the US, several police departments have started using StarChase hand held or vehicle-mounted launchers that fire foam 'dart' projectiles with a heat-activated sticky glue at fleeing vehicles - hailing the trackers as a major safety tool protecting communities and officers. StarChase's exclusive supplier in the UK is GMK. In 2022, Surrey and Sussex Police were part of a trial of the new technology. The force deployed StarChase multiple times in a six month period, nine of which stopped the pursuit from developing. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. In Scotland, the dangers of police chases have been repeatedly highlighted by a string of serious crashes. On Saturday, a dramatic police chase ended with a car going into the River Clyde. Police pursued a car carrying two males at around 9pm after the vehicle allegedly failed to stop on Law Street in Glasgow. A teenager was later arrested. In January, a police officer was seriously injured in a crash during a pursuit of a car which was reported to have been driving dangerously on the A82 south of Inverness. In July last year, a 27-year-old man died after a white Vauxhall Corsa crashed off the M9 motorway and down an embankment during a police pursuit in the Stirling area. In April last year two officers were left in hospital when their police car crashed in Perth while pursuing a black Volkswagen Golf. And tragedy struck in May 2016 when Edinburgh nurse Jill Pirrie, 33, was knocked down and killed by a speeding teenage driver who was being chased by police. The mum-of-one was walking home from work at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary when she was hit from behind by a Ford Ka being driven by Dylan Jenkin, who had bought the car for £40 off the internet and didn't have a licence or insurance. A marked police car gave chase after officers signalled for 18-year-old Jenkins to stop, but he sped off. He was sentenced to six years in jail for causing the nurse's death by dangerous driving. A contract award notice published in recent days shows the force has struck a deal with GMK for delivery of the 'supply and installation of GPS tracking devices for police pursuits'. Police Scotland said it could not comment on the specific type of devices to be used for operational reasons. A spokeswoman said: 'Work is ongoing to deliver a pilot of the devices in selected areas of Scotland.'
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Yahoo
Two CT men arrested after police track vehicle tied to larcenies using StarChase GPS device
Two men were arrested early Friday after police in Newington spotted a vehicle believed to be involved in a number of larcenies and successfully deployed a GPS dart used by law enforcement to track vehicles, which led to a foot chase in New Britain. Officers were patrolling the Berlin Turnpike near the Wethersfield town line around 1 a.m. when they spotted the vehicle believed to have ties to several thefts throughout the state, according to Lt. Scott Amalfi of the Newington Police Department. Amalfi said police were able to deploy a StarChase dart on the vehicle, as it was known to engage officers in a pursuit. An officer tried to pull the driver over, but he did not stop. Police did not pursue the motorist. The dart allowed police to track the vehicle to New Britain where it ran out of gas, according to Amalfi. Officers with the New Britain Police Department assisted Newington police during a brief foot pursuit which led to two people being apprehended. The suspects were identified as 35-year-old Jason Bartone of Manchester and 45-year-old Tucker Platt of New Haven, Amalfi said. Bartone was charged with interfering with an officer, reckless driving, engaging police in pursuit, possession of a controlled substance (second offense) and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was released on a $5,000 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear in New Britain Superior Court on May 9. Platt was charged with interfering with an officer and possession of a controlled substance. He was also released on a $5,000 non-surety bond and expected to face a judge on May 9.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Yahoo
MSP: Newburyport man led police on 100mph chase after being asleep at the wheel on the highway
A Newburyport man who allegedly led police on a high-speed chase after police found him sleeping in his car in the middle of the highway is set to face charges. Around 1:13 a.m., Massachusetts State Police received several reports of a vehicle stopped in the middle lane of Interstate 495 south in Lowell. Responding officers found Kristopher Cole, 29, of Newburyport, asleep in the driver's seat, a spokesperson for Massachusetts State Police said. Cole suddenly woke up and sped off, racing down Interstate-495 at more than 100 miles per hour, MSP said. Troopers successfully deployed Star Chase and a stinger to deflate all four tires on the suspected vehicle. After the tires were popped, the vehicle continued on Interstate 495 South into Bolton between 34-45 mph. The car finally came to a complete stop around 1:45 a.m. and Troopers took Cole into custody. Cole is facing charges of failure to stop, operating under the influence of alcohol, and possession of ammunition without an FID. He was expected to be arraigned in Lawrence District Court on Wednesday. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Yahoo
Use of StarChase, K-9 and stop sticks ends in Rockford arrest
Rockford police executed an arrest Tuesday using StarChase technology, which uses GPS to assist police in locating fleeing vehicles. According to police, officers spotted a vehicle about 10 p.m. Tuesday near 16th Avenue in Rockford. The vehicle was identified as one that had previously fled from them. The officers tried to pull the car over, but the vehicle fled again, police stated in a news release. The officers then used a StarChase device and stop sticks. Officers used StarChase to locate the vehicle again in the 2700 block of Kinsey Street and with the help of a K-9 located Nelson Brown in the 2700 block of Hanson Street where Brown was arrested and booked into the Winnebago County Jail. The officers recovered more than 345 grams of cannabis and cash. Brown, 28, of Rockford, faces charges of aggravated fleeing to elude, possession with intent to deliver cannabis and driving with a revoked driver's license. More: Accessing local journalism is even easier with the Register Star app This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Rockford police use new technology to make arrest without chase
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Yahoo
Sheriff's department shows off GPS tracking dart Monday morning
WEST PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — In a Facebook post Monday, Peoria County Sheriff Chris Watkins unveiled a different method of tracking rather than pursuing vehicles — a dart. Early Monday morning, a deputy was pursuing a vehicle and rather than keep going at a high speed, the deputy got close enough to fire a StarChase dart at the vehicle and then backed off. The incident occurred at about 2 a.m. when the deputy tried to conduct a traffic stop at a West Peoria gas station. The car's driver then sped up and began to flee, according to the dash camera video from the Facebook post. The object that attached itself to the fleeing car is called a GPS StarChase dart, which allows the deputy to track the car from a safe distance so they do not have to engage in a dangerous high-speed chase, according to the post. The deputy was then able to monitor the GPS, and two minutes later, the GPS led the officers to the 1400 block of West Millman Street. The car, which was a rental, had been ditched and of the people inside had fled on foot. The vehicle was left running in the road and a female who was allegedly inside was found at the scene and arrested. 'The Peoria County Sheriff's Office is deploying a StarChase technology that enables officers to safely manage fleeing suspects, while keeping our officers and community safe,' the post said. The post also explains that StarChase can be used and is effective in many vehicle crimes such as fleeing, stolen vehicles, DUIs, human trafficking, and narcotics trafficking, among others. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
