It appears not all citizens are protected from warrantless tracking after all, despite the recent Supreme Court ruling in the Jones case which declared GPS tracking of suspected criminals conducted without a warrant unconstitutional. In Iowa, a federal judge decided evidence gathered with a warrantless GPS tracking device installed on the vehicle in the case
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The government of West Australia has announced plans to follow Queensland in attaching GPS tracking devices to its sex offenders. Under this plan, sex offenders would be released into the community with anklets or bracelets equipped with GPS tracking technology. The tracking devices will monitor the individual’s movements, and can send alerts when leaving or
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Last year, Australia launched a controversial program allowing GPS tracking of convicted sex offenders. Now, the country’s legislators are hoping to expand the tracking program to lesser criminals. In January, a new sentencing option came into effect that allows judges to monitor criminals on community corrections orders for violence and substance abuse problems. “Currently, electronic
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On February 26, 28-year-old George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin. According to reports, Martin was walking to his father’s fiance’s home inside a gated community, when Zimmerman saw him and called the police, reporting what he considered suspicious activity. A fight broke out between the two for reasons that remain unknown, and Zimmerman shot
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We’ve reported police use of GPS tracking devices to keep tabs on criminals here at RMT in the past, but GPS used to keep tabs on the cops? This is exactly what Mayor Rick Hoffman of Macungie, PA wants to do. He introduced the idea at a recent council meeting, explaining that the devices would
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Canvas, a company dedicated to providing mobile app solutions for businesses and organizations, recently launched the Public Safety App Store. The apps available at the Public Safety App Store were designed to make reporting suspicious incidents to authorities easier than ever. Smartphones and Tablet PCs provide a wealth of information and data collecting capabilities at
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We’ve provided extensive coverage of the recent Supreme Court ruling calling for authorities to first obtain a warrant prior to placing a GPS tracking device on a suspect’s car. The FBI is merely one of many agencies who have frowned upon the decision, arguing that it is just going to make their jobs more difficult
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Washington County, Maryland has about a third of the crime rate, statistically, of its sister city, Baltimore. The small county in Maryland seems a little bit slow to get started on the emerging trend of utilizing GPS tracking for parole violators in the area. A Pilot Program That’s Not Ready for Primetime In 2010, the
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We’ve grown to view GPS as almost perfectly reliable. After all, it tells us exactly where we are, how far we are from our destination, and what is in the area around us. It seems there is always a new report on further improvement to the technology, narrowing its accuracy and making it even more
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Thieves love smartphones as much as you do, but for different reasons. Smartphones are cool. They’re small. They’re expensive and easy to steal. A good smartphone can be a costly investment, and you probably want to keep yours in your own pocket until you buy a new one. But that’s exactly what thieves don’t want.
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