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By Greg Bartlett

Law enforcement officers have a tough job of trying to keep criminals off the streets. It can be difficult to track down robbers and other petty criminals. But thanks to modern GPS technology, their job is getting easier.

GPS tracking has become the newest and best way to track suspects in a variety of cases. Usually these GPS tracking devices are placed on the exterior of a suspect’s car. Real time trackers would work best in this kind of a situation, because the police can be immediately notified if the suspect goes somewhere suspicious. However, passive GPS tracking devices have also been known to work, especially if the suspect has a set routine that he follows. If the suspect consistently goes to work, it will be easy for the police to find his car and retrieve the tracking device to download the information stored on it.

One might assume that these trackers would be most useful for very small crimes and not helpful enough to make a different in bigger cases. However, that is not the case. GPS tracking has been used to convict people of several serious crimes, including murder and dealing drugs.

Although it may seem that GPS tracking devices would not be as productive as having a suspect shadowed by a law enforcement officer, the tracking devices make it easier for the police to monitor a handful of suspects. Usually the tracker is concealed on the underside of the car, making it harder for the suspect to find. This is much more discreet than shadowing a suspect, which can often put the police officer’s life in danger.

Several state governments are debating new laws that would protect your vehicle from being tracked with a GPS tracking device. However, as a general rule, the police are allowed to place a tracker on your vehicle if it is parked in a public place, such as a street or parking lot, or if it is in view of the public on a private driveway. This is based off of a Supreme Court decision in 1983 that people cannot expect to have privacy in public places.

GPS tracking is a great way for law enforcement officers to confirm the whereabouts of their suspects, which can be important in the case of a string of robberies or a similar crime. They will be able to prove the guilt or the innocence of the suspect using the information from the GPS tracking device.