GPS Tracking

A Mixture of Public Sentiment vs. Agency Attitudes

Releasing of at-risk Offenders on Parole Proves Dangerous

Source acquired via Scotsman.com, June 18, 2010, Scotland – Four years ago, John Daly, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in jail for the brutal rape of a 17-year-old girl. After serving four years in prison, Daly was released. Two months after his release, Daly raped a 26-year-old school teacher. Citizens of Scotland are now wondering whether Scotland Yard can keep up with parolees, or if they need a little help from GPS technology.

Political Party Voices Express Interest in GPS Tracking

One political party, the Scottish Tories, are insisting that the Daly case is an ideal example of parole gone wrong. The Tories believe that using GPS technology is the best way to keep an eye on violent criminals such as John Daly. Party spokesman, John Lamont, argued that even though “…John Daly was sentenced to seven and a half years for a horrific rape in 2005, he was freed just four years later.” Lamont went on to say that “…the measures currently in place to protect people in Scotland from sex offenders must be far more robust. Merely placing somebody on the sex offenders register is not enough.” (more…)

Technology Used to Violate Personal Privacy

Legal Ramifications Loom Large

Source acquired via Short News, May 14, 2010, Philadelphia – Blake Robbins – a 15-year-old high school student – was recently confronted by his principal, Lynn Matsko, who accused Robbins of engaging in “improper behavior” while Robbins was inside of his home. Matsko gained this information using a webcam that was installed in Robbins’ school-issued laptop.

Recently, students who attend Harriton High School were given laptops that are equipped with GPS tracking technology and webcams. The school claims that this technology was added to the laptops in order to prevent theft, though school officials may be using the laptops to spy on students after school hours. The Apple MacBooks that the school issued have built-in webcams that can be activated by school officials.

Students and Parents Unaware of the Capability of the Laptop Camera

Each webcam can snap photographs of laptop users around the clock. When Matsko confronted Robbins, she told him that she had photographic evidence of his actions. When Robbins father spoke with Matsko about the issue, he was told that the school “…could remotely activate the webcam contained in a student’s personal laptop…at any time.” (more…)

State Senator Crafts Law

Privacy Issue is the Strongest Reason

Source acquired via The Franklin Sun, May 14, 2010, Louisiana – Louisiana State Senator Neil Riser is no stranger to changing Louisiana state laws. In 2009, Riser introduced the Louisiana Anti-Called ID Spoofing Act, which prevents disguised phone numbers within the state of Louisiana. Recently, Riser introduced another act that would make GPS spying illegal in most situations.

Presently, GPS tracking is not illegal within the state of Louisiana. Anyone can use a GPS tracking device to track a person or vehicle without legal repercussions. Riser’s bill would prevent this type of spying from occurring on a personal level, though it would still allow for law enforcement and military tracking. The bill would also allow the owner of a vehicle to attach a GPS tracking device to that vehicle without written consent from drivers.

Exemptions will Be Allowed

Aside from these exceptions, GPS tracking would be entirely illegal. Riser recently stated that “your first instinct would lead you to think that this is already against the law, but it’s not…” Riser’s act would not make it illegal for parents to tracking children who are driving a car owned by a parent. A similar anti-tracking currently exists within the state of Georgia. (more…)

Technology Used for Nefarious Purposes

Children and Teens are Most Vulnerable

Source acquired via BC Local News, May 5, 2010, British Columbia, Canada – Last week, a 54-year-old Vancouver man was arrested on charges of sexual toughing, sexual assault, and sexual interference of a 15-year old. This week, the man in question will face a Vancouver court. The man allegedly contacted the teenage boy through a social networking application, and tracked the boy using a GPS-equipped cell phone.

Recently, 54-year-old Mark G. Woodland of Phoenix, Arizona, was found stabbed and beaten to death on the floor of his apartment. Woodland’s roommate told police that Woodland met a date using a social network application. When the murder was first reported, the application name was divulged. Today, Phoenix police have asked that the application be referred only as “an unknown social network.” (more…)

Ever Expanding Uses

Safety and Profitability Goes Up

It is sure to be a watershed year for GPS Tracking in 2010.  This is true because of the already incredible ways that it has been put to use.  Even more ways are being explored for tracking that both improves and helps keep our society safer.

The central concepts of recovery, verification and safety are at the forefront of reasons to implement GPS Tracking.  Here are some of the ways that we are already experiencing positive effects from these devices. (more…)

Everyone makes mistakes. But cops don’t like to be proven wrong in court.

So, as an Ohio man recently learned the hard way, if you’re going to challenge a speeding ticket with GPS tracking records, you better bring a GPS expert as a sidekick to help your defense.

Jason Barnes was pulled over last year on the interstate by a police officer and ticketed for speeding. He was accused of going 84 miles an hour in a 65 miles-per-hour zone, according to CBS News online . (more…)

When GPS Tracking emerged in the mid-90s onto farms, the application was limited:  yield mapping for crops.  Now about 15 years later, this technology has made significant in-roads into the way crops are planted which enhances crop yields even further.

To wit, implement manufacturers are now including the wiring and mounting spaces for GPS devices that are built specifically to hold these units.  Also, these units are performing important functions in the planting process that adds specificity heretofore not enjoyed by the farming community. (more…)

More than 150 years ago, the popular way for American politicians to get in touch with citizens and win votes was to go on a “whistle stop” train ride. It was an efficient way for a candidate to meet a multitude of people. As the train crossed the country on its established path, the candidate proudly waved to the crowd from the deck of the caboose.

William Henry Harrison was reportedly the first candidate for President of the United States to campaign by train, in 1840. In 2009, newly-elected U.S. President Barack Obama adopted the quaint tradition and rode a train to Washington for his inauguration.

In today’s digital age, a popular and efficient way to campaign is electric-powered gadgets: Cell phones, smartphones, the Internet and GPS tracking devices.

A politician in Maharashtra, India, National Congress Party Chief Sharad Pawar, is heavily relying on GPS tracking technology for his re-election campaign.  Some politicians resist being tracked by vehicle tracking systems out of concern someone might misuse it to interfere in their personal lives. Pawar says he embraces GPS tracking because it keeps him accessible to his staff and constituents.

In India the citizenry’s interest in politics is fleeting and their time is a commodity, said the politician’s campaign manager Prakash Binsale. Campaign stops are very tightly-organized events. GPS tracking helps supporters: track where their candidate is at any given moment, calculate when he will arrive at a venue and make the necessary preparations. (more…)

Would U.S. lawmakers be better stewards of taxpayer money if they knew their activities were being followed with GPS tracking devices? After reading reports of lavish spending by elected officials in Scotland, the American public might agree.

Reporters from the Wall Street Journal tailed a dozen U.S. lawmakers throughout a five-day conference in Scotland and published the findings in the newspaper and on line Dec. 16. They observed the politicians on numerous occasions, mixing business with pleasure. Flagrant spending included free transportation by Air Force plane, a rented presidential suite in the hotel where they were booked, spa treatments, and dinners at the region’s finest restaurants. Wives went along too at the taxpayers’ expense.

The House members did legitimately meet with foreign dignitaries to discuss international security, as was the purpose of the trip. But after being wined and dined, eleven of the 12 U.S. politicians skipped out on the conference two days early, the article claims.

The biting report does nothing to dispel the long-standing belief that politics breeds corruption. (more…)

GPS tracking technology has once again proven that catching speeders with radar guns is “old school.”

In Bristol, UK, a man successfully beat a speeding ticket when he showed in court that the old-fashioned radar gun used by a traffic cop was off by more than 10 miles per hour. Gareth Powell was traveling on a highway in his company vehicle in November, 2008 and a police officer stopped him. The policeman said the radar checking his speed registered 61 mph in a 50 mph zone.

Powell said he was certain he hadn’t broken the law. He remembered that his company had outfitted all its vehicles with GPS tracking systems for better fleet management. High-quality vehicle tracking systems are incredibly accurate, because their readings are based on signals from satellites in space. GPS tracking technology was originally developed for the U.S. military, for use in training and conflict.

What’s good enough for Uncle Sam was also good enough in local traffic court. A check of the GPS tracking history log for the Ford van showed it traveling at 48 mph at the same spot on the highway.

The difference was drastic enough to warrant a case dismissal.

Why GPS Tracking Data Works in Court

This is yet another case proving that old-fashioned radar technology is inferior to GPS tracking technology. Ordinary citizens everywhere are challenging speeding tickets with the argument that police are using dated methods of documentation. Radar guns have to be calibrated frequently to ensure their accuracy. Some police still use human calculation, using a stopwatch and lines painted on the road.

It seems the key to victory in court is first proving the accuracy of GPS tracking readings, and, second, proving the defendant’s GPS speed reading was at the same time and place where the police officer is alleged to have captured his radar reading.

The UK’s Powell succeeded on both points. He brought his GPS tracking company’s director to court to speak as an expert witness. That GPS tracking specialist testified that the reading was good within three meters, about 10 feet in U.S. distance.

There are 24 satellites at work in the U.S. Department of Defense GPS tracking system. When a GPS tracking receiver gets a lock on three or more satellites, the reading is considered accurate. Powell’s location, time and speed were based on signals from eight satellites.

Is it time for police to adopt 21st century technology to catch speeding scofflaws? GPS tracking is far superior to radar.

Some GPS tracking devices take a “snapshot” of speed and location every few seconds; some every few minutes. In cases of speeding, it might be difficult to prove the accuracy of a GPS tracking device that monitors a vehicle with widely-spaced readings.

Active or Passive GPS Tracking?

For the purpose of beating speeding tickets, either an active or a passive GPS tracking system would suffice, because they both record a vehicle’s travel history. GPS tracking systems have extensive memory and/or storage capacity on a server. Hundreds of hours of movement can be kept securely for later review.

Many cellular phones have a GPS tracking features, but they often are not as reliable as independent GPS tracking devices. This is in part because they depend on the location of cell towers for their operation, and they do not have comparable memory capacity to store travel history or track in great detail.

Court Fights Take Time

The courts are beginning to accept GPS tracking data as valid evidence. But vindication from a speeding violation still takes time, because the wheels of justice turn slowly. The UK speeding case took nearly a year to make it to the judge’s bench.

In Sonoma County, CA, teenager Shaun Malone’s fight over a speeding ticket has stretched two years, going to trial and then appeal, and it cost his family thousands of dollars. In his case, a policeman using a radar gun clocked him going 62 mph in a 45 mph zone. The vehicle tracking device Malone’s parents had installed in his car for teen tracking recorded him driving at 45 mph.

Source: RoadTransport.com