StarChase
Encyclopedia
StarChase is the trade name of a system developed early in 2006 to track a fleeing vehicle of interest to police. Its components consist of a dart, actually a plastic ball encased in a viscous adhesive which contains a GPS
locator and a transmitter, fired by compressed gas from a small mortar
on the front bumper of a police car. The system was developed to reduce the need for, and the attendant danger of, high speed pursuits, many of which are precipitated by traffic violations where the motorist is later found to have outstanding business with the court system.
Upon deployment to a target vehicle, the ball begins broadcasting its position to the dispatch center. Catching the vehicle, even without air support, now becomes a matter of strategic interdiction, rather than mere pursuit and interception.
The StarChase system as of summer 2009 was in use by the Arizona Department of Public Safety
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Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...
locator and a transmitter, fired by compressed gas from a small mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
on the front bumper of a police car. The system was developed to reduce the need for, and the attendant danger of, high speed pursuits, many of which are precipitated by traffic violations where the motorist is later found to have outstanding business with the court system.
Upon deployment to a target vehicle, the ball begins broadcasting its position to the dispatch center. Catching the vehicle, even without air support, now becomes a matter of strategic interdiction, rather than mere pursuit and interception.
The StarChase system as of summer 2009 was in use by the Arizona Department of Public Safety
Arizona Department of Public Safety
Arizona Department of Public Safety is a law enforcement agency with its usual focus being protection of all Arizona highways. The current Director is Robert C. Halliday, a previously retired DPS commander, who began his 5-year term in February 2010...
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See also
- Real-time locating
- Real-time location services
- Automatic vehicle locationAutomatic vehicle locationAutomatic vehicle location is a means for automatically determining the geographic location of a vehicle and transmitting the information to a requester....