Law Enforcements use of GPS to track Vehicles

I know an individual who manages a fleet of GPS-equipped delivery trucks. He loves being able to keep an eye on the drivers. At first the drivers were uneasy about the boss knowing their every move but later came to like some of the advantages.

One such advantage is that if a driver believes he is near a delivery site but cannot locate it, he can stop and and use a cell phone to call the office. The office can see his location and the delivery site on a computer map. The office directs the driver to the correct location.

In my mind, it would be better for the driver, the office staff, and the manager if each driver had a GPS with a programmed route of his delivery sites for the day. No better place than POI Factory for them to learn how to locate their sites and create accurate routes!

As to government use of GPS tracking devices, I am strongly in favor of the position that the Fourth Amendment requires the government to obtain a warrant prior to the use of a GPS tracking device.

if government can track vehicles through GPS, I think we should see very few vehicle thefts for GPS equipped vehicle.

Except the theives would start using GPS jammers. If they haven't already.

Sadly, laws to regulate rapidly advancing technology will invariably be out-of-date by the time they are passed. This is NOT a criticism of legislators, but a recognition of how quickly technology leaps forward!

You can buy thin lead sheets (1/64" to 1/4" thick) that are used for flashing of roof lines or in plumbing situations. Mold a piece of it to cover the GPS antenna (like a cap) and your signal is now no longer. Problem solved.

Nuvi1300WTGPS

Any metallic substance will do, including metalized mylar. For something that's easy to handle and available at any home improvement/hardware store try aluminum window screen.

We can start a company manufacturing Faraday Cages for vehicles. Completely seal it off electromagnetically from the rest of the world as you roll down the highway. Also good for EMP and Lightning protection. Not to mention zero AM & FM reception and no cell service.

Possible Slogans; "Have a quiet day, with Faraday"

I'll shut up now.

I'm not following the discussion here...reading the linked article, it seems to be talking about the legality of law enforcement affixing a tracking device on a suspect's vehicle/property in order to track that person. There was nothing about using a GPS receiver already in your vehicle to do the same. The "GPS Tracking" devices I've seen (such as for fleet tracking) are a separate unit that receives a signal as a standard GPS, but then broadcasts the location information similar to an SMS or text message.

Unless I am mistaken, my little Garmin Nuvi only receives signals from the satellites, it doesn't broadcast anything, and has no way to broadcast my position to law enforcement, Garmin, or anyone else. I know that has come up a time or two in the forums here, when someone asks if Garmin can help track down a stolen GPS unit...

muhahaha ..... that's what they want you to believe!

Based on Moore's Law, in 10-years you could, unknowingly, find one of these devices placed surreptitiously on your shoe or shirt collar.

What most GPSRs do is to maintain a track log; if served with a warrant and the log had not been purged, it would not be difficult to see when and where your nüvi has been. It would then need to be proven that you were with your nüvi at those times/places of interest. But you're correct, it is only a receiver and does not transmit its position to anyone. There are other devices in the market that provide that service.

Check it out!

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/03/14/ex-cop-uses-gps-to...

Car insurances are starting to dig into gps control.

Of course then there is the story of the LAPD Cop who used his city issued GPS Tracker to track his girlfriend - there are always the abusers.

I'm surprised some states haven't started mailing speeding tickets based on entry - exit times of toll roads.

If you get on at point A and get off at point B and they are 80 miles apart, and it took you 56 minutes, obviously you were speeding.

I guess I just gave them an idea.

http://thegazette.com/2011/03/07/traffic-camera-fans-foes-re...

How would any antenna based device work if its antenna is blocked? Seems to me that not only will your GPS be invisible, you would no longer be able to navigate. I was also not aware of the fact that a GPS device transmitted as well as received.

The Oklahoma Turnpike did this years ago. I'm not sure if they still do it.

Yes, you are missing the thrust of this particular discussion. It's not about your navigation device, but one of the tracking devices.

Now, throw this into the mix. Particularly the 3rd paragraph.
http://www.mainjustice.com/2011/03/16/mueller-dont-delay-pat...

Most nuvi's do not have a transmitter, my 1690 is one that does. The Ciaco feature will transmit your position to other equipped GPS's as well as the gypsii social network, but only if you allow it.

Big Brother is watching