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GPS for moving surveillances

1/23/2008 8:19 AM
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1

GPS for moving surveillances

What's the consensus on the safest use of in-dash or portable GPS to assist surveillance officers in following suspect vehicles?  I am not talking about planting trackers or loggers on the suspect's vehicle.  I am referring to the surveilling officers using commercially available GPS devices to help identify their present location, determine surrounding street names, parallel routes, compass directions of travel, surrounding geography, what's ahead (especially cul de sacs), etc.  What are the best tactics to prevent divided attention accidents from occurring when using these devices in a moving vehicle while still watching the suspect vehicle, operating the police radio, calling lost or out-of-range units on the cell phone and generally running a moving police surveillance?

Last edited @ 1/23/2008 8:26 AM
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1/23/2008 11:12 PM #1
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 379

RE: GPS for moving surveillances

To be honest, I would think the only way to use that type of device safeyl during either a pursuit or a surveillance would be to have someone not driving use it. A supervisor could use a map and track things, as could a dispatcher. The people in the cars, if they are one man cars, need to concentrate on what they are doing.

If there are two man cars, the passenger could use the equipment and plan things while the driver is driving and working that side of the job.

If you have one man cars, I think it would be a recipe for disaster to try to get the driver to use a cell phone or GPS moving map while driving. We have enough accidents with regular drivers doing that, and with officers just using the radio while driving.
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