GPS Trackers and Stalking

By Greg Bartlett

It seems that we can always count on there being a story or two that involve high profile celebrities or organizations being the target of a stalker every few months. While a variety of industries, non-profits, research groups, and private individuals have put GPS trackers to incredible use, some still abuse the technology for whatever reason. According to a Bureau of Justice Statistics survey (note: pdf link), roughly 14 adults out of every 1,000 were victims of some degree of stalking. This could include repeated harassment at work, unsolicited personal messages online, or actual shadowing. The vast majority of victims know the stalker personally. GPS trackers play a role in very few of these cases, but the technology can certainly pose a temptation to those individuals unbalanced by events in their personal lives. Several situations have made the news recently.

GPS Trackers & Stalking

Last year, former Giants player Michael Strahan secretly placed a GPS tracker on his girlfriend’s car, accusing her of cheating when it was discovered. The couple had demonstrated serious relationship issues in the months prior, and the incident certainly didn’t help. Now short one girlfriend, perhaps Strahan could have learned from the example of MLB player Albert Belle, who in 2006 made repeated threats to his ex-girlfriend and had her monitored with a GPS tracker as well. This was a far more serious case, necessitating the involvement of the police and a restraining order. Ironically, the judge ordered that Belle be electronically monitored to ensure his compliance with court orders.

Perhaps less serious-but still illegal-are the occasional pranks played with GPS trackers. The blogosphere thought it had discovered once such joke recently, where two German artists claimed to have hidden a GPS tracker on a Google Street View van and were following it around Berlin. This comes after months of pranks on Street View vehicles-people have followed, harassed, or otherwise disrupted the camera-equipped cars since the program began. This case, however, turned out to be a hoax. The artists had hoped to raise awareness about paranoia by stirring up some themselves.

For genuine instances of stalking, there are a few things you can do to keep from becoming a victim. If you believe that you are being followed or harassed, then inform your close friends and family so they can keep an eye out for you. Keep a record of encounters, and if you feel secure enough in a public place-perhaps with a good friend-confront your stalker when possible. Be firm, and go to the police if the stalking continues. You can find other good advice here.

Tags: crime, family, GPS Tracker, safety, technology