Posted on 10/31/2013 3:04:20 AM PDT by Maceman
Cool new device may end police pursuits.
Personally, I think an RPG works better.
But that’s just me.
where would they get their adrenaline fix then?
Iowa was lots of ice and snow well it be able to attach to an ice or snow covered vehicle?
...And will it be able to be shot if the unit is covered with ice and snow.
But seriously, how many police chases actually occur in the winter in Iowa anyway?
At only $5,000 I suppose it might be worth it......
I am not entirely comfortable with this. When the suspect is clearly someone who should be pursued, then this might have many decided advantages. But what are the limits? Where does this lead? What are the ends and implications? The technology will only get better and cheaper.
My default position used to be with defending law enforcement. In the last few years that has changed. My default position is now that so-called “law-enforcement” is not to be trusted. I still believe that individuals within the system might be trustworthy, but the system is corrupt.
I have a brother-in-law who is a policeman in a major metropolitan area that is infamous for its crime and corruption. I trust him personally without any qualifications whatsoever. If he did not know me personally, and if he were to pull me over in traffic I have no doubt that I would be treated properly and in accord with my inalienable (and constitutional) rights. The city that he works for, and the police force that he is a part of is not to be trusted under any circumstances whatsoever! It is corrupt to a degree that makes the old USSR seem not so bad . . . .
This is not a new device, it's been around for about 10 years now.
It was first developed and deployed in LA following the OJ chase.
The adhesive is made by a small outfit up in Detroit.
I had a contract with DARPA to develop a product and after doing some searching with my mechanical guy, we found them through, believe it or not, a YouTube video.
At the time, the polymer used in LA, was not suitable for year round use.
For our contract they were going to develop one that would work from -40F to 140F... but the DARPA contract was canceled before we got that far. The sticker shock for the program killed it.
Apparently, they've done the development and have a deployable product.
As to will it stick to a salt encrusted surface, the answer is yes. Dust, yes. Caked on mud, no.
The adhesive, on impact changes properties a bit and becomes stiffer. The GPS tracker can't be just shaken off by driving.
Easy solution to the $500@ price tag. Just add it to the cost of the fine that’s imposed
St Petersburg, Florida police are giving the device a try according to local news.
Seems like you have to catch up to the crook(chase him?) to get this thing attached, so there is still chase involved.
Fine idea, but the chitheads will just dump the car 2 minutes after the police back off.
The trooper saying that the badguy slows down when the police are out of sight is not necessarily true. The driver, often young men, continue to drive like maniacs for some time because they know everyone is now looking for them, to include air support. So they drive to an area where they can ditch the car and hide out in a sympathetic home.
Nearly every pursuit I have ever been ended in a crash, even when I broke off.
Now if that device delivered a focused,short range EMP to the fleeing vehicle, that would be something.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.