GPS Tracking

Details Concerning Unsafe Drivers is Alarming

Poor Driving Skills Runs Rampant

The following statistics concerning drivers in the United States should put a scare into anyone who reads them.

Almost 1 out of 5 drivers would not pass a written drivers test if they were given one (38 million people).  Basic rules of the road are not only disregarded, drivers do not even have knowledge of what is in those rules.

These statistics are being played out on our streets and roads today with alarming results.  One of the most telling results of a poll that was conducted by the National Drivers Test survey was that 85% could not identify the correct action to take when approaching a yellow light at an intersection even though one of the selections was to “proceed through the intersection before the light turns red.” (more…)

GPS Tracking Applications Work for Any Situation

Criminals Come from Many Walks of Life

Source acquired via KRGV Channel 5 News, June 15, 2010, McAllen, Texas – Hernan Guerra, a former Sullivan City police chief, has recently been sentenced to house arrest and $10,000 in court deposit funds. Guerra will also wear a GPS tracking device while under house arrest, and any violation will be noted by authorities. In conjunction with 400 other individuals, Guerra was arrested as part of a federal drug cartel sting.

Lawman Arrested

Police Chief Hernan Guerra was recently arrested on Mexican drug-trafficking and distribution of arms charges. In total, police were able to arrest 2,200 people in connection with the drug-trafficking ring. Judge Peter Ormsby placed Guerra’s bond at $100,000. Last week, Guerra was released on parole, which includes house arrest. (more…)

It’s All About Safety Measures

Will it Work as Planned?

New Haven, Connecticut is rolling out a new GPS monitoring system to aid in the tracking of those who have been convicted of violent domestic crimes.  The idea behind this effort is to not only track the offenders, but be able to provide timely alerts should they violate the terms of their sentences.

The victims will also have a small device that delivers a message should an offender violate a pre-set boundary in their area.  Also, the victims will be supplied with cell phones so that an automated system can make a call to them and the police agency simultaneously to notify them of the violation.

Is all of this really necessary or is it overkill? The stats tell the story quite well.  One in four women has experienced domestic violence in their lifetime.  Each year, between 600,000 and 6 million women are the victims of domestic violence.  And finally, the most startling fact of all:  as an average, more than three women and one man are murdered by their intimate partners every day in America.

Technology that has been enabled to assist in this area is a huge boost to the efforts of keeping victims safe.  Everyone knows that police agencies cannot keep watch on victims 24×7 to make sure that they are ok.  In fact, case loads for local authorities are almost unbearable.

GPS is the Perfect Partner

If these systems are implemented as planned, they will work automatically and provide advanced notice to the victim that there might be a problem.  This is different from the normal ankle monitoring that only provides police agencies a notice if there is a problem with the monitoring system or other anomalies.

With these new systems, domestic violence victims can begin get back some semblance of a ‘normal’ life.  At least it might help them to live without always looking over their shoulders.

The most serious of cases are the ones that will be targeted by this program.  The best advantages of this program are that:

It is victim oriented.  This differs from existing programs that are targeted exclusively at offenders.

Provides extra time for implementing a plan once an alert is sent out.  The quick alerts allow victims to take action based on pre-determined steps to help insure their safety.

It is an extra tool that provides an additional layer of protection in the appropriate cases.  The goal is to save lives.

GPS Tracking devices have made many important marks on society.  This is without doubt one of the most important.

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Wildlife Tracking Gaining Momentum

GPS Devices Assist in Law Enforcement Efforts in Fish and Game Arena

Source acquired from Salt Lake Tribune, Ogden, Utah, April 20, 2010 – Salt Lake fish and game officers recently arrested Jared Beal, 41, for poaching bobcats. The Utah officers had suspected Beal of poaching for some time, though they were only able to catch him in the act of poaching with the help of a GPS tracking system.

Beal sold more than 40 different bobcat hides to various buyers within the state of Wyoming in one single day. While Wyoming allows trappers to kill a large number of bobcats, it is illegal not to disclose the location of each trap. The state of Utah, where Beal lives, only allows hunters to kill 6 bobcats per year. By crossing state lines, Beal was able to make a profit from selling numerous bobcat hides.

After a Utah court authorized the use of a GPS tracking system, Beal’s vehicle was secretly outfitted with a GPS tracker. Using information gathered by the GPS tracking device, officials were able to determine that Beal was trapping a large amount of bobcats within Utah state lines. Upon obtaining a search warrant, officers raided Beal’s house where more than 31 bobcat skins were found.

Beal’s lawyer attempted to discredit the use of a GPS tracker on the grounds that a GPS tracker may be intrusive. The appeal was denied, since a GPS tracker can be used within the state of Utah with proper court authorization. Beal will be charged with poaching, and he will be sentenced accordingly. Prior to the invention of the GPS tracker, it was nearly impossible to catch a poacher. Thanks to GPS tracking technology, poachers are now on the receiving end of the trapping game.

The Time Has Come for GPS Tracking Use in This Way

GPS Tracking devices are being used in more applications in the area of wildlife management.  And, these methods are also being used by more law enforcement agencies in the aiding of gathering evidence against those who are engaged in illegal activities.  The ease in gathering evidence helps solve crime quicker which lessens burdens on investigators.

Court systems have been tested in the legality of the use of GPS Tracking devices that are used in the obtaining of evidence and have endorsed their use as long as they do not violate the right to privacy.  This makes them perfect for wildlife law enforcement.  The expanding of the use of these will continue which will help protect animals that cannot protect themselves.

The simple, monolithic cell phone is going away, quickly.  Already, you are hard pressed to find a cell phone that only makes phone calls.  Most cell phones have cameras, media players and other additions that extend their functionality beyond what they were intended for in the early days of development.

The largest growth area is in Smart Phones.  These units not only have all of the additions like cameras and media players and storage, but they also have applications that have been developed for them that help you perform tasks that used to only be available on a personal computer.

Killer Apps

The competition that they are providing to traditional computing is strong.  Smart Phones are able to accomplish both simple and complex tasks via apps that are designed to make life easier.

Even though you might have to pay a few dollars for the small app, it can be worth it if it helps you better manage your time and tasks.

GPS Enabled

The latest rage in Smart Phone technology is the GPS enabled feature.  Here’s why this is turning out to be the killer app:

Instant Directions Anywhere:  GPS navigation units have been popular in vehicles for several years now.  The full-featured devices provide services beyond just the turn-by-turn directions that they were known for at first.  Being able to discover that perfect night spot or restaurant is a plus.

GPS Tracking Safety:  Safety is a prime area of concern for parents when it comes to their children and other family members.  Being able to ‘watch’ where a teen or child goes based on the GPS Tracking abilities of a Smart Phone has parents breathing a sigh of relief.  Even though this feature is not as good as a dedicated GPS Tracking device, it still provides a measure of security in knowing that there is method for safety that can be used in times of emergencies.

Who is On Board? Many Smart Phone manufacturers offer GPS as a standard feature with their phones.  The Apple iPhone lacks the GPS feature that other Smart Phones have.  This places Apple behind in offering a very important feature that consumers want.  Yes, the feature will be included in their next iteration of the iPhone and operating system, but they come to the table late.  However, purchase decisions based on this application has not slowed Apple’s dominance in the market.

Will it be long before GPS enabled cell phones are the standard?  Almost assuredly.  But, this is a good thing, not bad.  Even some businesses can benefit from the use of a GPS Enabled smart phone for those who work in delivery operations.

The bottom line is that GPS enabled Smart Phones are growing in numbers and are definitely here to stay.