Rocky Mountain Tracking

Daily GPS News

Wisconsin Tightens Restraining Order Violation Laws with GPS Tracking

May 20th, 2013

Should it be lawful to electronically monitor specific offenders deemed potentially “high risk” who have not yet ever violated a restraining order? Governor Scott Walker of Brookfield, Wisconsin, stirred up a controversy this year when he answered yes. He has recommended setting aside grants totalling $3 million to fund the project that would track via GPS technology individuals who are considered too unsafe not to supervise but have as yet done nothing after receiving the restraining order to warrant the tracking.

The portion allotted from the grant comes from an even larger $14 million set aside for law enforcement departments involved in monitoring internet activities for criminal use to sexually manipulate children and bolstering the safety of victims of sex crimes (protection in transport to court, emergency response to a call, etc). The restraining order part of Governor Walker’s plan comes with certain criteria necessary to be met to prevent “just anybody” from being slapped with a GPS tracking device. Wisconsin already has in place “Cindy’s Law” which makes lawful the GPS tracking of criminals who have previously broken the conditions of their restraining order. Violators are GPS tracked for both date/time and location. whether after release from prison back into public domain or even if they’ve never been in jail, to ensure they do not enter an exclusion zone, an area predefined in the restraining order. The criminal will be dealt with the authorities upon crossing the exclusion zone if it was previously deemed unlawful as well as unsafe for the petitioner of the restraining order.

To GPS track specific hazardous individuals who have never violated their restraining order, certain prior behavior will have had to occur. The Governor’s proposal stipulates the criminal must have before caused physical abuse to the petitioner or household pet(s), an incident of strangling or sexual abuse, vandalism to the petitioner’s personal property, including forced access to him or her. The violator can also be eligible for GPS tracking if he or she has ever made any verbal threats of injury to anyone (not just the victim), including using or declaring intention to use a gun or other dangerous weapon.

Britain: GPS Tracking Of Stolen Vehicles Put To The Test

May 18th, 2013

GPS tracking devices have been relied upon by many private investigators for a long time. They are effective in locating just about anything all over the world, especially expensive items like iPhones and cars.

Over in the UK, the Telegraph reported recently on a CCTV video released by the West Midlands Police showing two men stealing a BMW 118D from a hotel parking lot in Ladywood, Birmingham in under 15 seconds. This certainly shows the merits of a GPS tracking device when it comes to recovering your stolen car. The two men, brothers, stole a total of 13 cars over the period of 20 days, a combined value of about £250,000. The GPS tracking device, very well hidden on the BMW, directed police right to the garage attached to the brothers’ house in Brierley Hill’s Old Bush Industrial estate in Birmingham.

The brothers were sentenced to four years in prison for conspiracy to steal motor vehicles at Birmingham Crown Court.

GPS: Recovering Cars Quickly and Easily

Investigating officer DC Matt Dyer of the West Midlands Police said, “This was an organized, sophisticated operation with high performance cars being stolen in less than 60 seconds. Their method of entry was somewhat rudimentary, but once inside they clearly demonstrated technical skill to start the engine very quickly.

“Our investigation led us to recover all but one of the cars they stole. Car theft is a very risky business given that so many are now fitted with (GPS) tracker devices and that our road network is covered extensively by Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras which allow us to monitor vehicle movement.”

Private Investigator Agrees

Private Investigator, an independent detective agency out of Birmingham, also relies on GPS tracking devices. They also turn to the devices in cases where one spouse is said to be cheating on the other to see where it is they are going. As soon as the device is affixed to the vehicle, tracking can begin. The use of tracking devices on the vehicles stolen by the brothers allowed the owners to be reunited with their property.

Says Kristy George, spokeswoman for Private Investigator: “In my professional opinion these brothers were lucky to have stolen as many cars as they did with all the crime prevention modern technology available. An expensive vehicle like a BMW should be fitted with a GPS tracker for the owner’s peace of mind.”

Active vs Passive GPS Monitoring Devices

May 4th, 2013

GPS monitoring devices have been used effectively for observing criminals serving supervised release sentences. However, a recent incident in Colorado raises questions about the type of device that should be used to do the monitoring.

The Criminal

Matthew Preston Caulk is a convicted sex offender. He was first convicted for a sexual assault in the state of Washington. After serving his sentence for that offense, he relocated to Colorado. He should have registered as a sex offender in his new city of residence, but he did not, making him a fugitive. He was found after he was featured on local news stations and on America’s Most Wanted. During his time without supervision, he is said to have been guilty of another sexual assault and when found, he was with an underage runaway. For this offense, he served 45 months in a federal prison and was sentenced to serve 8 years of supervised release.

The Situation

As a condition of his supervised release, Caulk was required to wear a GPS tracking device at all times. In his case, the device only provided passive monitoring. This means that the device only sends immediate warnings if it is tampered with or the wearer attempts to remove it. To obtain all other data, including location information, the offender must dock the device and upload the data. While wearing this device, Caulk went missing. Authorities eventually tracked him down and arrested him, but they were not able to get help from his monitoring device to locate him.

The Comparison

In contrast to Caulk’s situation in Aurora, most offenders in the Denver area wear GPS devices that provide active monitoring. This means that authorities are always able to access an offender’s location and may even receive immediate alerts if an individual leaves his prescribed area. The director of the halfway house where Caulk was staying defended the passive monitoring devices, stating that they were simply a part of the supervision of these offenders. He cited telephone check-in calls, sign-in/sign-out logs, and on-site and facility counts. He also stated that if an offender fails to check in by the prescribed time, local law enforcement is notified.

While passive GPS monitoring devices may certainly be useful for some low risk offenders, it seems that greater discretion concerning their use is necessary. In criminals who have already shown a tendency to run, or for those who are at risk for violent crimes, active GPS monitoring seems to be the safer and wiser option.

Jackson, MS: GPS Tracking of Sex Offenders Likely

May 3rd, 2013

A big issue for law enforcement wherever you are: sex offenders and their propensity to reoffend. In efforts to curb this behavior, many cities are enacting legislation asking that criminals be monitored with GPS devices upon their release.

Jackson, MS is the latest city to bring this legislation to the table, and it appears it may soon become law. Yes, Mississippi does require sex offenders to register every 90 days. However, this isn’t common practice with all of them and legislators want to do something about it to protect victims.

“The fact is these are just the kinds of criminals who repeat their offenses and all these bills do is enforce our current sex offender laws using modern technology,” said Senator Will Longwitz.

The bill up for discussion is named Lenora’s Law, named after a woman who investigators state was killed by a convicted sex offender from Rankin County who did not register as he was supposed to. It was created in an effort to hold those convicted offenders not registering to be monitored by a GPS device. The senate has passed the bill, as well as the house after making amendments.

Longwitz says, “It protects victims of sex offenses from people who have proven they can’t follow the law.” He supports all amendments made.

What changed? The house added verbiage that gives judges the power to assign GPS tracking devices to convicted sex offenders. Also, the amendments increases the distance of how close a sex offender can live to places children congregate such as schools and playgrounds. The change: from 1,500 feet to 3,00 feet.

Support is abundant, said Longwitz. “Everybody I talk to, democrat, republican, liberal, conservative has told me they wish we could do more of this,” he said.

Lenora Ehegard’s sister, Becky Macon, stated that this law should have been in place prior to the death of her sister. “This may not have happened to our sister had this law been in place,” she said.

Longwitz intends to ask the senate to approve the amendments, with the end goal of getting the bill on the governor’s desk as soon as possible for a signature.

GPS Nabs Bank Robbers In Columbus

April 26th, 2013

GPS technology has benefited many victims of theft. As these devices get smaller and more affordable, more people are finding ways to attach them to valuables. Vehicles, computers, smartphones and much more have been stolen and recovered thanks to GPS tracking devices. Savvy consumers have been attaching undetectable tracking devices to their valuables which are vulnerable to theft. Now, we’re hearing of businesses using this technology for protection from robberies.

A bank robbery is a tasty temptation for thieves. Despite the high risks involved, like causing a federal investigation, the large cash reward seems worth it to a portion of the criminal element. Banks are getting wiser and turing to GPS technology to help recover cash stolen by these bold criminals. Recently, a bank robber was busted in Columbus, Ohio after making off with a bag full of cash. The alleged thief was not aware that the bag of cash also contained a small GPS tracking device, which led police to his hideout a few blocks away.

GPS devices are an improvement on bank security. Prior to this technology, banks would often slip an exploding dye pack into the bag of cash the robber was stealing. These dye packs were also very discrete and couldn’t be detected right away. A short while after the robbery, the dye pack would explode, staining the cash and ideally the thief in the process. Although this method was fairly effective, the exploding dye packs are more dangerous than tracking devices, primarily because the exploding packs would sometimes cause injury to the criminal and/or innocent bystanders.

So far this year, Columbus has seen 11 bank robberies according to the police robbery squad. The city averages about 40 bank robberies every year. Hopefully, GPS technology can help the police solve more of these cases. In a 2007 U.S. Department of Justice report, it was estimated that about 60 percent of bank robberies are solved, usually when a repeat offender makes a critical mistake.

How GPS Reduces Officer Response Time

April 10th, 2013

A major part of a police officer’s job is simply getting to the location of an emergency in a timely manner. The amount of time it takes an officer to reach the scene of crime or other emergency can be the difference between an attempted crime and an accomplished crime, a suspect apprehended and a suspect on the loose, and even at times, life and death. But with the financial woes of many cities causing them to cut back on already understaffed departments and officers expected to patrol areas larger than before, is there any hope for them to keep their response time down? For officers in Taylorsville, Utah, the answer is a resounding yes, thanks to a new GPS system recently placed in use.

Built by Microsoft, Streets and Trips 2013 has proven to be a user friendly way for police officers to navigate unfamiliar areas. The program, which is downloaded to the officer’s car laptops for their convenience, tracks their movements in real time so when they need to enter a destination, the GPS technology does not require them to enter a current location as well.

One of the most common complaints about GPS is that it can quickly go out of date or become unreliable due to road work and other construction projects. But the version used by the Taylorsville Police Department is updated daily, bypassing those problems and greatly increasing the reliability of the program for officers.

But perhaps one of the most appreciated benefits of Streets and Trips is that it increases officer safety. When entering an unfamiliar community, especially on dangerous calls, officers have to be aware of their surroundings, but the distraction of finding a new address can hinder officers from seeing and avoiding potential dangers. Streets and Trips eliminates that distraction and also provides officers with an image of the area they are entering, allowing officers to identify potential hazards before it’s too late.

Taylorsville isn’t the only police department to start taking advantage of GPS technology. Many departments are discovering the benefits of GPS, with some even enabling dispatchers to view exactly where every officer is at a given time so they can dispatch the closest officer to a call, saving precious time. Other departments have discovered how to determine the exact location of gunshots using an app added to their GPS device. GPS technology has the potential to greatly increase the effectiveness of police departments across the nation, but it will take an initial investment of time and money to realize the benefits. With safety on the line, though, the investment is more than worth it.

Hot Debate: Can Police Use GPS to Track Criminals?

April 8th, 2013

Do police need a warrant to track your vehicle? The White House doesn’t think so, and they’re going to court to try to make it official. After the rulings, counterfulings, overrulings and general confusion of the lower courts on this issue, the Supreme Court decided in January of 2012 that in order to place a GPS tracking device on suspicious cars, police needed a warrant – sometimes. Although the ruling had some immediate impact, it failed to provide a conclusive answer to the problem due to the wording of the ruling and vague hints that certain exceptions existed. As a result, the Department of Justice filed a case with the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia to test those exceptions.

While the details of the debate can be fairly confusing, the gist of it is that the courts seem to want police to acquire a warrant before tracking vehicles, and the police say that simply isn’t practical. Because warrants take some time to be issued, police are afraid they will lose cars as they move around before a warrant is issued. And if they do manage to maintain tabs on a car, it would likely be because detectives were able to follow it as it moved, which is essentially the same thing they’re getting a warrant to allow the GPS to do for them.

The Supreme Court, for its part, argued that placing GPS devices on cars without a warrant to do so constituted an unreasonable search, and was thus in violation of the fourth amendment. But police, who have had great success apprehending criminals with the aid of GPS tracking, aren’t willing to give up the fight just yet. They’ve countered that if it is the installation of a tracking device that is unconstitutional, then using the GPS in the phone or other mobile device of someone in the car to track the vehicle is legal.

The ACLU and other civil rights organizations have been watching this battle with great concern, and have praised the Supreme Court’s ruling. Meanwhile, several senators have introduced a so-called “GPS Act” to Congress in an attempt to provide definitive guidelines to police departments as to how they can utilize GPS in tracking and arresting criminals. This issue will likely be debated for some time to come, as courts and legislators attempt to define how police may legally use GPS tracking devices.

GPS Tracking Devices to Aid Police in Domestic Violence Prevention

April 6th, 2013

Because the numbers of domestic violence related deaths have been climbing in Orange County, FL, police are hoping to soon utilize GPS tracking devices in efforts to reduce not only the number of deaths, but the number of protection order violations as well.

In 2011, Central Florida suffered 27 domestic violence related deaths. City officials are grieved by the high number, and feel that it is long past time for change to occur so that further death may be prevented. With injunctions of court orders in domestic violence cases committed on a nearly daily basis, the idea was put forward by city officials that GPS tracking devices could be an invaluable help in preventing further violence.

Were the plan to be accepted and allowed to move forward, perpetrators of domestic violence crimes would be forced to wear GPS tracking devices at all times.

This would enable police to have the ability to call victims before any damage could be done, to notify them that the individual under orders had entered an off-limits area. Police would be able to establish safety plans for victims to follow in case of injunction by perpetrators.

Certain situations and events could have been prevented if GPS tracking devices had been in use at an earlier time. Events such as that in September, when Michelet Polynice killed Carlene Pierre, 28, and two others in Orlando, FL, before ending his own life as well; or such as in October, when, before taking his own life, Bradford Ramon Baumet killed his ex-girlfriend and three other people at a Casselberry salon.

Regret over the past can do little good in the present, let alone the future. That is why police and city officials feel so strongly that the time to take action is now, before more violence is committed.

Along with efforts to prevent domestic violence where possible using GPS tracking and other technologies by Central Florida police, smartphone and tablet app developer Harbor House has created an award-winning app to help educate health care professionals on the recognition of signs of domestic abuse.

Police Get Their Man Thanks to Smartphone GPS

March 25th, 2013

Yet again, it appears criminals don’t pay attention to the news. A burglar was busted in Helena, MT thanks to the smartphone he had just stolen and the phone’s built-in GPS device.

According to court documents, the incident occurred at the Red Lion Colonial Hotel while the victims were relaxing in the pool. Three people were swimming and saw a man down on one knee, claiming to be testing the temperature of the water. His name was John Veilleux the three later found out, and he claimed he was checking the temperature for his children, assuring it was warm enough for them to enjoy a quick swim.

While they were swimming, he snagged the room key card without their knowledge. They swam from 7 pm until 7:50 pm, and hotel records indicate the key card was used to access their room at approximately 7:25 pm. When the three victims headed back to their room, they discovered that certain items were missing.

One of the items taken was a Motorola Android smartphone. The owner of the phone contacted the service provider, and they conducted a GPS location search which indicated the phone’s location: within three meters of a residence inhabited by Veilleux’s sister. She gave officer’s permission to search her home, and they discovered Veilleux sleeping on her couch. Of course, the stolen items were discovered.

According to a probably cause affidavit filled out by Officer Scott Finnicum, “After locating the fruits of the crime, the undersigned woke John Henry Veilleux from his sleep. John Henry Veilleux became highly belligerent with the undersigned.” It was at this point Veilleux suffered from an “instant medical condition,” saying that he was having a seizure, and was taken to St. Peter’s Hospital.

Police conducted a search of Veilleux’s bedroom and discovered one of the victim’s debit cards amongst the other items he had taken from them. If it hadn’t been for the smartphone’s GPS location technology, he might never have been charged with felony burglary.

FL: GPS Tracking Anklet Leads Cops to Burglar

March 17th, 2013

We’ve reported on a host of cases of dumb criminals, not one of them understanding precisely how GPS location technology works. Back in October of 2012, we wrote about a parolee from Massachusetts who didn’t think twice about burglarizing a home despite the fact she was wearing a GPS tracking device on her ankle. Of course, authorities were able to place her at the scene of the crime and even pinpoint exactly when the act was committed, as the homeowner wasn’t sure when the crime took place.

In another case, registered sex offender Wilbert Matheney, regardless of the GPS ankle bracelet he was wearing, entered the home of a 90-year-old man and 48-year-old woman and stole their laptop computer. The woman and other neighbors described Matheney and directed the police to check out a local group home for registered sex offenders, which just so happened to require the residents to wear GPS tracking ankle bracelets. Upon review of his location history, they found Matheney was in fact the burglar, and were able to send him back to jail.

Now, you can add Dwight Miller’s name to the Idiotic Criminal Hall of Fame. In Cooper City, FL, a resident reported a burglary where $12,000 worth of electronics and jewelry were stolen. You can imagine the surprise when police saw a wallet laying on the floor, pulling out an ID belonging to 20-year-old Miller. Even more surprising: a computer records check of Miller showed he was assigned a GPS ankle bracelet after a prior burglary.

Police were able to look over Miller’s location history, finding that he was indeed at the exact address on Forest Hill Drive, at the exact time the burglary took place. Miller is currently being held in jail without bail while he awaits trial. I would like to say he’s learned the power and capabilities of a GPS tracking bracelet, but you just never know.