A suspect driving a SUV attempted to flee a traffic stop and
hide from Canton Police Officers, but was surprised when he was located by law
enforcement after he thought he had escaped.
Canton police are now using deployable StarChase GPS
tracking devices to avoid the chance of putting the public at risk by engaging
in a potentially dangerous car chase. The technology is placed as a unit on the
front of patrol vehicles and projects a GPS tracking device that clings to the
back of the suspect’s vehicle and tracks the direction that the vehicle is
heading.
Canton Officers first used the new StarChase equipment on
Sunday, October 22, 2017, at approximately 12:20 AM after attempting a traffic
stop. An Officer had stopped a vehicle, which did not have working taillights
and while attempting to get the driver to comply, the suspect drove away.
Another Canton officer, who was nearby, was able to locate
the vehicle, which was travelling with the flow of traffic on Interstate 575
southbound where he also attempted to stop the driver using his blue lights.
The driver did not stop and the officer then deployed a Star Chase GPS beacon
onto the rear of the driver’s vehicle with success. Using the Star Chase GPS
beacon, officers tracked the vehicle using real time information and
successfully take him into custody by Cherokee County Sheriff’s Deputies.
"We are extremely grateful to have been able to
purchase this important equipment. We strongly believe the utilization of the
two (2) systems will further enhance our efforts to protect our community, help
maintain the safety of our Officers and strengthen our ability to apprehend
individuals involved in criminal activity,” stated Police Chief Mark Mitchell.
Canton Police acquired the two GPS tracking devices this
past summer and will be utilizing the technology to prevent future police
pursuits.
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