GPS Used To By Cops To Track Suspects

legality of GPS devices being used by law enforcement without a warrant is questioned.

1 minute read

October 6, 2004, 6:00 AM PDT

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech


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.

Thanks to sam gold

Tuesday, October 5, 2004 in Times Union

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 18, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Woman and young girl looking at subway map, woman pointing.

Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?

Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.

June 9, 2025 - John Pobojewski

Map of EV charging ports in rural U.S. communities.

The EV “Charging Divide” Plaguing Rural America

With “the deck stacked” against rural areas, will the great electric American road trip ever be a reality?

1 hour ago - The Daily Yonder

Google street view of Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn with pedestrians crossing a crosswalk and cyclist in the bike lane.

Judge Halts Brooklyn Bike Lane Removal

Lawyers must prove the city was not acting “arbitrarily, capriciously, and illegally” in ordering the hasty removal.

2 hours ago - StreetsBlog NYC

Close-up of cracked and damaged two-lane roadway with double yellow stripes on a bright sunny day.

Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?

With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.

June 19 - Transportation for America