5 ms·

what if the tracker scratches/dents/damages your car? How does the GPS unit adhere? does that leave a residue? Are they going to pay for that??

kotaKat 3y ago
I'm assuming if you're not actively trying to get pursued by a law enforcement official this isn't a problem.
- robertlagrant 3y ago
  I might be wrong, but it's my impression people can get their doors kicked in and their computers seized, returned 6 months later with hard drives wiped. No recourse, or very slow and painful.
  - wahnfrieden 3y ago
    And your money stolen without being returned https://www.npr.org/2023/03/24/1165822372/afroman-police-raid-lawsuit-music-videos https://www.npr.org/2023/03/24/1165822372/afroman-police-rai...
- whoomp12342 3y ago
  horse shit! LEO can miss and hit someone elses car. Also, just because you are being pursued doesnt mean you are guilty of a crime. Cops can be creeps.
  - officeplant 3y ago
    If the tracker hits your car you'll probably be guilty of stealing[1] law enforcement property. [1]https://futurism.com/cops-charge-man-stealing-gps-tracker https://futurism.com/cops-charge-man-stealing-gps-tracker
    - kube-system 3y ago
      No, you wouldn't, because theft requires mens rea.
      - public_defender 3y ago
        Good luck at your upcoming criminal jury trial.
        kube-system 3y ago
        I guess I'll hire Heuring's lawyers instead of a public defender, because he was the intended target of his GPS tracker, and he ultimately beat the theft charges and the entire search warrant. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/02/removing-a-gps-tracking-device-from-your-car-isnt-theft-court-rules/ https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/02/removing-a-gps-t...
      - crooked-v 3y ago
        Keep in mind that this is the country where people have been charged with destruction of property for bleeding on police uniforms while being beaten. https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-day-ferguson-cops-were-caught-in-a-bloody-lie https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-day-ferguson-cops-were-cau...
        kube-system 3y ago
        And those charges were dropped -- they weren't found guilty.
        orangepurple 3y ago
        Anybody can be charged with anything. It does not mean they will be convicted.
        dragonwriter 3y ago
        Oh, okay, good thing that being charged and not convicted has no adverse impacts in this country. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/15/atlanta-jail-man-dead-eaten-bed-bugs https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/15/atlanta-jail...
  - harvey9 3y ago
    This is basically a NERF gun. In the vanishingly unlikely event that you need to, you can file a claim for damage to your vehicle.
  - olyjohn 3y ago
    It's not a bullet. It's a nerf dart and only flies about 35 feet. If you are close enough to get hit by one of these, you're already in a fucking dangerous situation and should probably not just drive home like nothing happened. Also if they wanted to track you, they already can, and this really doesn't help them in any particular way. Hidden GPS devices have been around for years now.
    - whoomp12342 3y ago
      because its not possible for two people to have a grey honda accord heading southbound on I61
- mitchdoogle 3y ago
  It's a problem for everyone because police make mistakes pretty frequently. All that it requires is them mistaking you for a suspect or following the wrong car, going to the wrong house, etc. Every technology should be considered in how it can be misused, instead of assuming everyone that uses it will be honest and infallible.
kube-system 3y ago
This is an alternative to the PIT maneuver or spike strips, which are all much more destructive. Generally speaking, police are legally permitted to use force to compel compliance.
- wisnoskij 3y ago
  I think the problem is that it will likely be viewed as less destructive and used in cases where they would not have does a pit maneuver. Like a taser, in theory it is great to have a LESS lethal option than a gun, but if it is used in cases where they never would have used a gun, you might argue it was a net loss. Arguably, police should probably not use a taser if they do not feel threatened. But on the flipside if they feel threatened, they absolutely should be shooting them with real bullets, so the taser certainty has cost police officers their lives when they thought it would be a good enough deterrent and it turned out not to be. Also, you can only have so much gear.
klyrs 3y ago
> Are they going to pay for that?? No, when the cops damage your property, you're free to pay a lawyer to tell you that you'll lose in court.
- stronglikedan 3y ago
  So true. Like the time the literally ripped my buddy's front door off it's hinges, and pointed a gun at his small child, only to find they were in the wrong apartment. Zero recourse, in what you'd think would be a slam dunk. At least the apartment complex didn't charge him for the damages.

kotaKat 3y ago

I'm assuming if you're not actively trying to get pursued by a law enforcement official this isn't a problem.

robertlagrant 3y ago
I might be wrong, but it's my impression people can get their doors kicked in and their computers seized, returned 6 months later with hard drives wiped. No recourse, or very slow and painful.
- wahnfrieden 3y ago
  And your money stolen without being returned https://www.npr.org/2023/03/24/1165822372/afroman-police-raid-lawsuit-music-videos https://www.npr.org/2023/03/24/1165822372/afroman-police-rai...
whoomp12342 3y ago
horse shit! LEO can miss and hit someone elses car. Also, just because you are being pursued doesnt mean you are guilty of a crime. Cops can be creeps.
- officeplant 3y ago
  If the tracker hits your car you'll probably be guilty of stealing[1] law enforcement property. [1]https://futurism.com/cops-charge-man-stealing-gps-tracker https://futurism.com/cops-charge-man-stealing-gps-tracker
  - kube-system 3y ago
    No, you wouldn't, because theft requires mens rea.
    - public_defender 3y ago
      Good luck at your upcoming criminal jury trial.
      - kube-system 3y ago
        I guess I'll hire Heuring's lawyers instead of a public defender, because he was the intended target of his GPS tracker, and he ultimately beat the theft charges and the entire search warrant. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/02/removing-a-gps-tracking-device-from-your-car-isnt-theft-court-rules/ https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/02/removing-a-gps-t...
    - crooked-v 3y ago
      Keep in mind that this is the country where people have been charged with destruction of property for bleeding on police uniforms while being beaten. https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-day-ferguson-cops-were-caught-in-a-bloody-lie https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-day-ferguson-cops-were-cau...
      - kube-system 3y ago
        And those charges were dropped -- they weren't found guilty.
      - orangepurple 3y ago
        Anybody can be charged with anything. It does not mean they will be convicted.
        dragonwriter 3y ago
        Oh, okay, good thing that being charged and not convicted has no adverse impacts in this country. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/15/atlanta-jail-man-dead-eaten-bed-bugs https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/15/atlanta-jail...
- harvey9 3y ago
  This is basically a NERF gun. In the vanishingly unlikely event that you need to, you can file a claim for damage to your vehicle.
- olyjohn 3y ago
  It's not a bullet. It's a nerf dart and only flies about 35 feet. If you are close enough to get hit by one of these, you're already in a fucking dangerous situation and should probably not just drive home like nothing happened. Also if they wanted to track you, they already can, and this really doesn't help them in any particular way. Hidden GPS devices have been around for years now.
  - whoomp12342 3y ago
    because its not possible for two people to have a grey honda accord heading southbound on I61
mitchdoogle 3y ago
It's a problem for everyone because police make mistakes pretty frequently. All that it requires is them mistaking you for a suspect or following the wrong car, going to the wrong house, etc. Every technology should be considered in how it can be misused, instead of assuming everyone that uses it will be honest and infallible.

kube-system 3y ago

This is an alternative to the PIT maneuver or spike strips, which are all much more destructive. Generally speaking, police are legally permitted to use force to compel compliance.

wisnoskij 3y ago
I think the problem is that it will likely be viewed as less destructive and used in cases where they would not have does a pit maneuver. Like a taser, in theory it is great to have a LESS lethal option than a gun, but if it is used in cases where they never would have used a gun, you might argue it was a net loss. Arguably, police should probably not use a taser if they do not feel threatened. But on the flipside if they feel threatened, they absolutely should be shooting them with real bullets, so the taser certainty has cost police officers their lives when they thought it would be a good enough deterrent and it turned out not to be. Also, you can only have so much gear.

klyrs 3y ago

> Are they going to pay for that?? No, when the cops damage your property, you're free to pay a lawyer to tell you that you'll lose in court.

stronglikedan 3y ago
So true. Like the time the literally ripped my buddy's front door off it's hinges, and pointed a gun at his small child, only to find they were in the wrong apartment. Zero recourse, in what you'd think would be a slam dunk. At least the apartment complex didn't charge him for the damages.