WOODBURY, Minn. — According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 525 people were killed in crashes during police pursuits, in 2021.
It's not uncommon to hear of police departments changing their policies around police chases, and Woodbury PD is one of many rethinking the philosophy around the practice.
The department is one of the latest to implement StarChase, a GPS tracker inside what looks like a high-tech dart. It's about the size of a mini soda can.
"There's epoxy that attaches to the vehicle and a magnetic backup," Sgt. Chris Donahoe of the Woodbury PD said. Seven of the department's squads are equipped with a front-end launcher that shoots up to two StarChase darts simultaneously.
"It's been described as a high-tech t-shirt launcher," Sgt. Donahoe said. "And it comes out from the front of the squad, and attaches to the vehicle in question."
From inside the squad, there's a control panel under where the police computer sits. The buttons light up when activated, and a laser fires up too, helping the officer using the system aim the darts. When it is time to launch, a red button lights up. Under it, it says 'Fire.'
"It's like the big red button right that you're not allowed to push, but we get to push it," Sgt. Donahoe said with a big smile on his face.
Once the GPS dart is attached, police can track the car from a safe spot.
"And we can come up with an apprehension plan that meets our timeline," Donahoe added.
Something that feels like it's straight out of Inspector Gadget is something Donahoe said he's been hoping for.
"Especially for these high-speed pursuits that we're able to do something to apprehend them without continuing to chase on a high speed," he said. "High-speed pursuits are one of the most dangerous things that we engage in as police officers and it's really something that puts everybody at risk. From the officer to the suspect and most importantly the community."
So far, due to constitutional concerns, StarChase can only be used in the context of tracking what's been identified as stolen vehicles. However, Donahoe said he's also hoping for a change in lawmakers' minds.
"We'd like to see the law further expand into allow us to use this technology to all vehicles that flee to further reduce the risk of high speed pursuits to the public," Donahoe said.
The darts are not cheap. Donahoe said it took approximate $7,000 per vehicle to be equipped with the launcher. He said the department was able to receive funding through the city's budget for its improvement plan.
The darts are not reusable. However, Donahoe explained that if they are able to retrieve the darts, they can exchange them for a new one from StarChase.
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