Rocky Mountain Tracking

By Greg Bartlett

Do you remember how you kept teasing your kids when they were little that you needed to keep them on a leash? Well, GPS technology has created personal tracking that will keep you up-to-date with their movements at any moment. There are a variety of options available for personal tracking and it can be used for a number of reasons.

GPS & Children

Trackmykids.com has created miniature GPS devices that can be attached to backpacks, belts, or coats to monitor your child’s whereabouts. If you want to know the path that they traveled to school, where they are at the current moment, or even whether they stayed within the boundaries that you gave them, this technology might work for you. This site is one of many that offers child tracking, allowing you to have a logon and password so that you are the only one who has access to that information.

GPS tracking is a technology that has been developed recently in science. Although there are many types of GPS tracking, the basics behind it are the same. There must be some sort of device that is connected the object in question. When the device is activated, it begins recording data or transmitting signals to satellites that are strategically located. These satellites reflect the signals to a central computer that records and analyzes the information. Technicians can then make this information available to the public as needed.

A recent event in news has caused a public outcry in regards to the extent that personal tracking has gone. Several schools across the USA have given their students new computers to assist them with schoolwork. The downside, as many have found out, is that the webcam on those computers has been taking pictures and videos of the students working at the computers, or even of other people that are in the room. While this may not sound bad, these cameras have caught some very compromising situations on tape and several school board officials have been questioned regarding the integrity of such a project.

Personal tracking may be the answer to maintaining the security and privacy of your children, but make sure that you consider all the side effects. These items are easily attained and you can even carry one on yourself so that others know your location in case of an emergency. Check out what GPS tracking can do for you.

By Greg Bartlett

The news seems full of reports of teen driving deaths, around 3,500 in 2008 alone, and many parents wonder how they can keep their own young drivers safe. Certainly, when teenagers are learning, the solution is easy. Parents can sit right next to their children and monitor their every move, telling them to slow down, stop at stoplights, and cautioning them against reckless driving. However, what do parents do once their children are fully trained and learn to drive by themselves?

Teen Drivers & GPS

Many families have started using vehicle tracking systems to solve this problem. These systems allow parents to see exactly where their child is and what their child is doing. If a teenager is going over 70 in a 45 zone, he may find his phone ringing with a lecture from his mom. If another teenager appears to be engaged in reckless driving and won’t answer her phone, parents can track where she is and find her. Although these situations may seem unnecessary and annoying, especially to the teenagers involved, many lives could be saved by using GPS tracking.

Guy Thompson of Lake Oswego, Oregon tracks his 16 year old driver, Maggie using a vehicle tracking device. At first, he admits, he checked on her regularly throughout the day, and Maggie confesses she didn’t like being on a leash. However, the pair says that after awhile, Thompson started checking only once a day, and she grew used to the vehicle tracking device, forgetting, at times, that it was even there. Of course, like any teenager, she wishes her parents didn’t use it in the first place, but she is willing to put up with the process and does acknowledge that it helped cultivate trust between her and her parents. Thompson, however, feels the device is fine. Although, he does add that it needs to be between parents and children.

Although many teenagers may feel these devices signify a lack of trust on their parents’ part, most parents view that miscommunication as a small price to pay for the safety and continued lives of their children. Granted, some children are trustworthy without GPS tracking. Still, many others need the accountability provided by such a device. Parents of teen drivers should seriously consider purchasing a vehicle tracking device, thus preventing their own children from being one of the next 3,500 deaths this year.

More organizations are benefiting from the location pinpointing ability of GPS tracking devices. One of the more innovative uses has been implemented by a Texas county to keep kids from skipping school. Offenders must appear before the Justice of the Peace, where they are given a GPS tracking device that they must carry during a probationary period.

GPS Tracking & Truancy

The GPS tracking device monitors the location of the students at any given time, and enforcement personnel can check at any time to ensure that they are attending classes as they should be. While traditional methods such as mentoring, court orders, and jail time for repeat offenders have yielded spotty results, the new method has resulted in 95% of monitored students attending classes as they are supposed to.

GPS tracking has proved useful for other law enforcement purposes as well. Departments routinely use the devices to monitor paroled sex offenders and have also seen a measure of success in using GPS vehicle tracking to keep an eye on suspected drug traffickers and other criminal suspects. While controversy exists over whether or not the technology violates privacy, the court system has upheld the use of GPS tracking in general, although some states require a warrant for tracking suspects without their knowledge.

The benefit provided by GPS tracking to law enforcement offices includes the ability to monitor multiple suspects or parolees without the need for additional manpower. They can also assist police with finding stolen property including automobiles and construction equipment, two prime targets for theft. Already strained departments can put their resources to the best use possible instead of placing officers on numerous stakeouts and information gathering assignments. Proponents of the technological solution say that placing a GPS tracking device on a suspect’s car is no different from assigning an officer to follow that suspect, since the transmitter cannot give any information beyond what could be gathered with the naked eye.

As more GPS tracking uses surface, the courts will undoubtedly have to contend with the constitutional question of whether GPS surveillance equates with unreasonable search. For now, departments are singing the praises of the devices, since they save not only manpower, but also limited department funds.  More cases will undoubtedly be brought before state judicial systems as time progresses, but in the interim, the public can expect to see more innovative uses of the technology cropping up in law enforcement departments across the country.

By Harriette Halepis

Ever since it was discovered that a simple GPS Tracker could save an Alzheimer’s patient from serious injury or death, a hot debate has been brewing. Some people argue that attaching a GPS tracker to an Alzheimer’s patient is inhumane. Others see GPS trackers as the only way to keep tabs on an elderly person at all times.

GPS Tracking & Alzheimers

Time and time again Alzheimer’s patients have died while wandering outside in cold weather. Many others have become lost while wandering too far away from home. Even though it has been proven that a GPS tracker can save a person’s life, this fact has not dissuaded some people from arguing that placing a tracking device on a person without that person’s knowledge is simply not right.

Some argue that placing a person with Alzheimer’s inside of a special care facility is the best course of action. However, most of these facilities use some type of tracking or warning bell device to prevent patients from leaving hospital grounds. Further, very few Alzheimer’s patients are aware that they have been placed inside of a special home, and this is just as much a violation of rights as any tracking device.

Still, the debate remains rather heated as more and more states across the nation consider the mandatory implementation of GPS tracking devices for Alzheimer’s patients. Many law enforcement officials feel that these trackers would prevent certain death and injury, while many more argue that forcing a person to wear a GPS tracking bracelet is illegal.

While both sides of this debate are valid, something must be done about Alzheimer’s deaths that could have been avoided with the help of GPS trackers. Is it humane to attach a GPS tracker to an Alzheimer’s patient? Is it humane not to try and prevent deaths that are caused by wandering? These questions remain unanswered, though it’s clear that an end to the Alzheimer’s vs. GPS tracking debate must be in sight.

Otherwise, it’s safe to assume that those who can afford to place Alzheimer’s patients in special care will also be able to prevent death, while those who cannot afford a care facility will have to decide between GPS trackers and the possibility of a loved one wandering away from home. It may not seem entirely humane to force an Alzheimer’s patient to wear a GPS tracker, but is it really any more humane to allow an accident to happen that could have been easily prevented?

By Greg Bartlett

A couple summers ago, I interned with a local family court.  There were a number of juveniles who came through the court during my internship who were being charged with truancy.  A few times, their parents were brought into the system, too, because they were under a court order to ensure that their kids got to school and the kids still weren’t attending classes.  Sometimes the juveniles didn’t go to school because their parents didn’t bother to make them, but sometimes the kids would refuse to get up or would even get on the bus and then get off someplace else, making their parents’ efforts useless.

GPS & Truancy

For parents who are concerned about their children’s education attendance, or who could even be facing jail time if their children do not attend school, a new option may turn out to be especially helpful.  Some students in Texas who are also frequent visitors to truancy court have been testing GPS monitoring, which allows that the court to ensure that the students are attending classes as ordered.

The GPS monitoring devices, which are about the size of a cell phone, can track the juveniles’ location and allow the truancy court officials to determine whether or not the individuals attended classes as required.  If they drop out of the program or leave the devices at home, the juveniles can face jail time for contempt of a court order.  Apparently the threat is working, because the program is reporting a 98% attendance rate for students on the program, and a continued 97% attendance rate for those who finished.

GPS monitoring can be a help both to the student, encouraging him or her to attend classes and graduate, and to the parent, who no longer has to worry about trying to force a child to attend classes and to risk jail time if the child skips classes despite the parent’s efforts.  For family or truancy courts, a GPS device can help provide the answer by giving a case worker the ability to closely monitor a juvenile and to strongly encourage him or her to attend classes as ordered without having to follow the juvenile around each day.

During my internship, I saw many concerned and frustrated parents and social workers.  Without the ability to more closely monitor a juvenile and ensure school attendance, chronic truancy sometimes couldn’t be stopped.  GPS monitoring, however, provides the necessary supervision and is apparently helping truant students redirect their lives and start attending classes again.

By Harriette Halepis

Kids are generally safe while taking part in any mountain’s ski school program, but Whistler Blackcomb in Vancouver, British Columbia, has taken child safety to a whole new level. This year, kids that have signed up for the Whistler Kids, Ride Tribe, or any other private Whistler Ski School program will be fitted with GPS tracking devices.

GPS & Children Skiing

The resort hopes that by providing children with GPS trackers, parents will be able to “… look forward to a little more peace-of-mind knowing that we’ll be able to track their children, using flaik’s GPS system, no matter where they are on the mountains (Ski Rebel Magazine).”

Not only will parents have the ability to track their children, but young skiers looking to increase their speed and time will also have a chance to view their ski patterns. The GPS trackers have the ability to keep track of the number of trails kids attempt, speeds, and the amount of time that kids spend on the mountain - those kids who aren’t cut out for skiing won’t be able to escape to the lodge this year!

There’s no doubt that these new tracking devices will also provide Whistler with valuable marketing information, such as the most popular lifts used, and which trails kids love to explore. When all is said and done, the addition of GPS trackers to ski resorts is a novel idea any way that you look at it.

By Greg Bartlett

You care about your kids and want to make sure they’re always safe. But now that they’re in their teens, they don’t exactly want you coming along everywhere they go. And they probably get tired of constant phone calls asking where they’re at and what they’re doing. What if you could know where they’re at all the time without having to follow them everywhere? What if you even got an alert every time they were speeding or could see when they entered a bad neighborhood?

Teen Drivers & GPS

GPS teen tracking has the power to tell you where your kids are all the time. Some parents have even installed the device in the trunk of their teen’s car without having to make an issue of it-the ultimate in non-invasive parenting. And as simple as that, you know where they go. Say goodbye to having to trying to figure out their every move. Your teen can say goodbye to the constant phone calls. You know what’s happening; your teens don’t feel like they’re being micro-managed.

GPS teen tracking has two really big benefits. One of them is safety. Is it really the best for your teen to be going out and absolutely no one knows where they are? With a simple device, you can always know where they are if the need should arise. One parent suspected that their teen might be involved in dangerous behaviors. She simply put a tracking device in his trunk and just like that, she could know what was happening with her son.

But the biggest benefit of GPS teen tracking is peace of mind. You could either wonder all the time and worry because you have no idea what is happening, or you could know. You could have the ability to check where your teen is at any time of the day or night. Surely, that has to be worth the cost of a tracking device!

There is one other interesting benefit that has only come to light more recently. A few months ago, a teenager used GPS data in court. According to a radar gun, he was accused of going almost 20 miles over the speed limit. But GPS data said he was going exactly 45 at the time of the citation. That’s a pretty good defense when you have good technology to back it up!

GPS teen tracking may be just what you’ve been needing to be a responsible parent without driving your teens crazy. Safety and your peace of mind might be as simple as a GPS tracking device.

By Greg Bartlett

Although GPS tracking devices were originally developed for the use of the military, this same technology is very popular for personal uses as well. More and more devices are being developed that are specifically designed to track a group of people. The two most common groups of people to track with GPS technology are young children and the elderly, especially those with Alzheimer’s.

Putting GPS to Use

Although the idea of monitoring the movements of people with GPS tracking devices is a good one, young children and people with Alzheimers are the two groups who are least likely to cooperate with this kind of a program. This makes it difficult to develop a GPS tracker that will work for this particular function. Unless a tracking system was sewn into an individual’s clothing, it would have to be attached to a belt or carried in a pocket. Either of these two places would make it easy for the wearer to mess with or discard the tracker.

For this reason, a couple of different options are being developed that will work better with young children and those with Alzheimer’s. GPS tracking devices are now being placed in watches and shoes to keep tracking as subtle as possible.
Alzheimer’s patients have a tendency to remove things that they are not accustomed to wearing which is why GPS tracking shoes are one of the best developments for them. Those that regularly wear watches may not mind the switch to a watch with a GPS tracking device, but on the whole, the tracking shoes work better for them. There are several different companies that have been developing these kinds of shoes. These GPS tracking shoes can be set with geo-fencing techniques to inform family members if their loved ones go missing.

Although GPS tracking devices in shoes would also work to track children, a watch can also be helpful. Children usually wear many different pairs of shoes, and older children probably want to purchase fashionable shoes. This can make GPS tracking shoes somewhat ineffective. A watch with GPS tracking is more likely to be worn every day, and an easy digital reading will allow even younger children to be able to read it. Most of the designs for GPS tracking watches have some sort of panic button that children can use to signal their parents that they are in danger.

Throughout the next decade, many developments will be made in GPS tracking devices, making them better for tracking people like young children and those with Alzheimer’s.

By Greg Bartlett

Each day the news seems to bring us more disturbing stories of children who have been kidnapped. Some turn up years later, some lose their lives, and some are never found at all. As a parent, you want to make sure your child is protected from those with evil intentions and you need a way to verify your child’s safety at any point in time. GPS tracking provides these benefits and brings you peace of mind when you’re unable to be with your child.

GPS & Child Safety

Many kidnappings occur on the way to or from school and are carried out by someone the child knows. GPS tracking can act as an extra set of eyes so that when you are unable to be with your child, you can still check up on him from time to time to ensure that he’s where he’s supposed to be.

Children are notorious for forgetting to call their parents about a change in plans. With GPS tracking, you can quickly and easily verify whether your child is at basketball practice or at a friend’s house rather than worrying that an estranged family member picked her up after school.

Modern GPS tracking devices are small and easily concealable. Children can wear one as a wristwatch, clip it onto a waistband, or carry it in a pocket or backpack. The transmitter sends a signal at specified intervals to your computer or receiving device, allowing you to log on and view your child’s location at any time. You can view data in real time or as a report detailing movement throughout the day. In the event that the worst should happen and your child is picked up by a would-be kidnapper, you can immediately notify the police and provide them with specific information regarding your child’s whereabouts. Their rescue efforts will be greatly enhanced and the chances of recovery increased when they know exactly where your child is.

One of the most heartbreaking kidnapping stories reported recently was that of a seven year old girl who disappeared while walking home from school and was later found murdered. If your child suddenly went missing, GPS tracking could help prevent a tragedy such as this from occurring. No one likes to consider the possibility that a killer could be lurking around the corner, but as more and more tragic stories surface, you’ll sleep better at night knowing that if the worst should happen, you’ve done everything in your power to protect your child.

by James Neely, freelance writer: click | HERE | to check out GPS products from Rocky Mountain Tracking

What is it worth to you to be able to keep a closer watch on your children?  Is it worth lowering the risk of having something happen to them?  Is it worth taking away some privacy?  Only you can answer those questions but you need to know that there are ways to accomplish establishing a more secure environment for your children through GPS Tracking.

Child Safety is #1

Here are some methods that can be used with GPS Tracking to help keep children safer.

Attach a GPS Device

There are models of GPS Tracking units that operate on batteries.  These units provide full portability which allows for active tracking of people while they are out moving about.

Popular places to locate these units include strollers, diaper bags, children’s clothing or other special items like stuffed animals, etc.  Creativity in selecting a location will help to keep the units hidden and therefore able to perform effectively.

Monitor Via Cell Phone

Cell phones with GPS capabilities can be tracked for safety purposes.  The concerns with this method are that once the battery runs out, it will become useless for tracking, and cell phones are normally easy to spot and separate from victims.

Install in a Vehicle

Families should consider obtaining a GPS tracking device for their vehicles.  These devices are effective because they allow 24 x 7 tracking of a car and even continue to emit a signal should the vehicle become disabled or the main cable to the battery is removed.

Sad to say, but tracking children for peace of mind is almost a necessity any more.  Just hearing about all of the scary situations that are presented to us daily through news outlets is enough to motivate parents into doing so.  Really, though, it is better for all concerned.  Hopefully you will never have to use the device in an emergency situation.