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The Nepal Police force could start using GPS tracking technology in order to catch criminals, according to the República. More specifically, the proposed program would be tracking suspecting criminals with state-of-the-art Global Positioning System (GPS) devices.

These new standards for using GPS tracking devices to track Nepali criminals would simplify the warrant-obtaining process for Nepal Police. GPS tracking has already been utilized in a few select cases, such as on Kumar Ghante, released in October after completing a 17-month prison term for attempted murder.

The Ghante experiment has been a success, which has been an impetus for the Nepal Police to expand the program. “The effectiveness of the first experiment has encouraged us to take steps in that direction,” Senior Superintendent of Police Rana Bahadur Chand told Repúblic.

Criminals, under the Nepal Police GPS tracking system, would have to keep the GPS tracking devices near them at all times as a condition of their parole. This will enable police to keep track of them and to reduce the risk of repeat crimes.

The Nepal Police is being cautious about the program, taking due course to prevent violations of privacy rights, Chand says, since one violation of privacy rights would be enough to end the public’s confidence in the program and in the Nepal police force.

The law in Nepal will not have to change in order to allow police to track criminals with GPS tracking devices. The laws currently allow police to use methods they deem necessary to track criminals. Chand states that the Nepal Police is simply exercising this authority while using state-of-the-art technology.

Article Written by Greg Minton