GPS Tracking Systems and Their Uses in Crime Solving

As technology becomes more and more advanced, so do the ways we use them in our jobs and everyday lives. Take GPS, for example. It was initially developed for the use of the United States military, but was eventually allowed for civilian use in the 1980s. Since then, it has been used in telecommunications, navigation, and robotics among other applications.

GPS has also proven itself valuable in crime solving and prevention, from finding clues into the whereabouts of missing persons to monitoring the location of all vehicles in a fleet. Police forces all over the world continue to use GPS tracking systems in tandem with other technologies to enhance their capabilities in tracking and apprehending criminals, as well as enhancing overall community safety.

Stopping Car Theft and More

On average, one motor vehicle is stolen in the United States every 45 seconds. And while vehicle thefts have been on a decline over the past two decades, thieves are getting more creative and technologically advanced when stealing cars. Using smart keys, which eliminates the need to hot-wire cars, is now a common method in stealing automobiles. More and more criminals have also begun using fake or stolen identities to get loans to acquire luxury cars.

With the use of GPS tracking technologies, incidences of car theft can be quickly addressed. It can even be used by businesses to monitor their fleet. Taxi companies, for example, can track where all their active cars are at any given moment, while used car lots can install GPS trackers on their cars for sale to prevent incidences of theft and non-paying customers.

Kidnapping and missing persons cases may also be solved with the help of GPS tracking systems in cars. The location of a car may yield clues into the identity of the kidnapper, or who may have been in contact with the culprits, victims, or both. With allied technologies, running cars can even be remotely stopped through GPS.

GPS tracking systems can also be used by the police force themselves to coordinate operations and rescue efforts, as well as facilitate a faster and more efficient deployment of personnel. Faster deployment may possibly mean shorter pursuits and more apprehensions.

More than Cars… People

Cellular phone tracking has taken a huge leap from the moderately accurate signal triangulation to the more precise handset-based tracking through GPS. More modern cellular phone models even combine GPS with Wi-Fi positioning systems for enhanced accuracy of indoor tracking. These technologies are valuable not only in locating stolen property but, more importantly, people as well.

Apps (both proprietary and third-party ones) are the simplest way to keep track of your loved ones, with such features as check-in using a smartphone’s built-in GPS trackers. Even if the phone is switched off, say the battery ran down, there are technologies in place like passive tracking to help locate the device. The last known location of a gadget can also give clues on the next destination of the person or perhaps the motive of the criminal.

For those who do not have gadgets of their own, like very young children or perhaps some tech-phobic elderly, there are devices that can be placed in a bag or clipped on to clothing which can then be monitored through a partner app on a mobile device or computer.

Technology has both good and bad facets, and its bad facets can be quite destructive when placed in the wrong hands. However, it’s undeniable that technology has also made our lives safer and more convenient, so long as we keep on discovering more productive, helpful applications.