GPS Used To By Cops To Track Suspects

Police investigators are increasingly using GPS to track people suspected of crimes. However, these agencies are not routinely obtaining warrants to attach tracking devices to suspects' vehicles. In motions on file in U.S. District Court in Albany, a defense attorney representing someone caught with the help of a GPS tracking unit has called the installation of the device “illegal.” "'The use of a GPS tracking device is a far greater intrusion than placing a 'beeper' on an automobile,' the defense attorney wrote, citing limited case law available on the subject."Although many police agencies don't as of yet use GPS to track suspects, because it costs more to keep a team of officers on a suspect's trail than to download information from a computer the use of GPS to track suspects will only increase. Therefore the questionably legality of the placement of these devices without a warrant will only increase in importance.