GPS Tracking

GPS Device Tracks Down ‘Sin Bad’

The Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that Sherburne County investigators did not violate the Constitution when they attached a GPS tracker to a burglary suspect’s work vehicle and used it to track him to a burglary scene.

Deputies used the GPS tracking device to track the suspect, Sin Santo Bad, to a residential house as he was cleaning out a safe.

Sin Santo Bad was convicted of first-degree burglary and sentenced to 11 years in prison. Bad appealed the conviction, contending that placing the GPS tracker on a truck he used at work constituted an illegal search, and in direct violation of his Fourth Amendment rights. Bad’s attorneys requested that the evidence investigators obtained after his arrest should be suppressed.

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Charges Dropped for Turtle Lake Driver

A 60-year-old driver for a handicapped transportation service in Turtle Lake, WI, was accused of sexually assaulting a child in his care. However, this past week he had the criminal charges against him dropped after the 11-year-old girl admitted she made up a story that he molested her sexually.

According to a phone interview from District Attorney Dan Steffen, Paul L. Burritt was not just “not guilty” of the accusations made against him, he was clearly “innocent” of all charges. He went on to state that this was “a prosecutor’s worst nightmare.” All charges against Burritt were dismissed on a prosecutor’s motion and Steffen is working to have them expunged from the criminal computer records.

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Tracking Police Activity with GPS A Common Practice

Macungie (PA) Mayor Rick Hoffman wants to join other municipalities in using GPS technology to monitor police cruisers. He got the idea after speaking with officials in other communities. Pen Argyl, which is about the same size as Macungie, has been using the program about six months.

State police and departments in surrounding cities such as Allentown and Bethlehem (PA), as well as some smaller suburban communities have been using the technology for years as a safety measure for officers and a way to speed up response times to emergencies and crimes in progress.

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You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

As the saying goes, “You’re never too old to learn something new.” The Encore Seniors’ Education Centre, located in Cornwall, Ontario (Canada), will be offering senior adults 50 years and older a wide variety of classes designed to improve skills, knowledge or just to relieve boredom.

There is something for everyone in the 38 courses offered by the senior center, including one for the bookworm called “Not your everyday book club.” There are classes designed for philosophers called, “Memories, Dreams & Reflections,” the handyman (or woman) called “Home inspections & renovations,” and much more.

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Forget the Beef, Where’s the Plow!

The winter season in Chicago can be brutal. Last year, a massive blizzard dumped more than 21 inches of snow, effectively shutting down the entire city. And although the epic blizzard of 2011 may not be the norm, the snow definitely is, which means the city streets will soon be covered in layers of powdery white snow.hat should provide Chicagoans with a little peace of mind

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration announced a new plan today to help its citizens monitor the city’s snow plowing efforts. Using GPS tracking technology, the city has developed a new website, ChicagoShovels.org, which will provide a map of Chicago’s approximately 300 snowplows, as they make their way through the various neighborhoods. This new website will give anyone with access to the internet, a clear view of work as it progresses along, allowing its citizens to track the snowplows through real-time GPS technology. “If that’s happening, you’ll see it,” Mr. Emanuel’s chief technology officer, John Tolva, said.

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Tracking Burglars Through GPS

The City of Santa Fe, NM introduced a new system designed to track convicted burglars by utilizing GPS devices rather than putting them in jail. The Santa Fe Police began tracking the first offender last week. This new program will start with just five GPS tracking devices in order to gauge its effectiveness and ability to collect data.

According to a report from ABC News, Santa Fe Police Capt. Aric Wheeler, said the idea for the program originated as an alternative to repetitive incarceration, which can get pretty expensive for taxpayers. They also found that jail time did very little to deter these repeat offenders from committing more burglaries.

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China Seeks GPS Independence with New Beidou System

China’s new Beidou (which means “Big Dipper”) Navigation Global Positioning Satellite System began providing services yesterday, which signaled the end of its dependence on the U.S. GPS system, according to a report from the official Xinhua News Agency.

China began working on the Beidou GPS system in 2000 with a goal of creating a global position service by 2020. And according to the Xinhua news report citing Ran Chengqi, director of the management office of the China Satellite Navigation System, the new GPS system began providing initial positioning, navigation and timing operational services for the nation and surrounding areas on Tuesday.

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How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

The classic fictional children’s story, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss, depicts a bitter, cave-dwelling creature named, The Grinch, who possessed a heart “two-sizes too small.” From his perch high atop Mount Crumpit, the grumpy Grinch can hear the noisy Christmas festivities that take place in Whoville, home of the merry and warm-hearted Whos. Annoyed and unable to understand the Whos’ happiness, he makes plans to descend on the town in order to “prevent Christmas from coming” by stealing all the Christmas presents and decorations, and of course, all the Who-ham.

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Next-Gen GPS Satellites Undergoing Tests

Lockheed Martin’s Waterton Canyon complex in Colorado received an early Christmas gift this past week with the arrival of a prototype unit of what is expected to be the next-generation in Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites.

The prototype unit, called the “Block III,” will be undergoing months of rigorous testing before its anticipated launched into space. These new Block III satellites are part of a $5.5 billion upgrade to the existing government-run GPS technology system.

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Where Did My Shopping Cart Go?

According to a report from AFP (Agence France-Presse), Spanish police in Madrid caught a man who stole thousands of supermarket trolleys (or shopping carts as they are called in the U.S.) by tracking him with GPS tracking devices, which were hidden on several of the carts.

The 37-year-old man is thought to have stolen 290,000 euros’ (or $390,000) worth of trolleys, which he then sold as scrap metal, according to a statement made by Madrid police. The police department covertly attached the GPS tracking devices to the trolleys after being alerted by several supermarkets in the city, which reported losing more than 3,000 trolleys this year.

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