Without warrants, police use trackers to follow suspects

The Central Kentucky Area Drug Task Force, a joint agency comprised of officers from the Madison, Clark, Garrard and Jackson sheriff’s offices and the Berea Police Department, has spent nearly $18,000 over the past two years to purchase a variety of systems designed to allow officers to track the movement of vehicles covertly using GPS satellites.

Task force director Rick Johnson confirmed in an interview that his agency does own three of the devices, and has used them, but declined to give any specific details beyond stating that they were installed without obtaining warrants.

www.richmondregister.com...

Madison County, KY is not that big of an area. How widespread is the use of this technology? How many people do law enforcement currently track without warrants?

Clark County is not all that big either. I think it may be even smaller than Madison Co. Not sure how big Garrard Co is, but Jackson Co seems small as well.

I wonder who all they are tracking and why.

you can thank Bush for all the laws and bills he passed after 9/11

terrorists? Ohnoz! let's give up our freedoms to feel secure!

We have nobody to blame but ourselves for our current predicaments.
If we had paid attention when it was truly necessary perhaps we could have stopped all this insanity.

Originally posted by Jessicamsa

I wonder who all they are tracking and why.

Presumably all the inconsiderate folk who selfishly don't have a gps in their car or phone to facilitate the authorities' needs. It's really their own fault.

It's a cotton-picking shame for them to spend all that taxpayer money when another little device you can place in your car will block all hidden GPS devices from working.

Move.

Counter move.

Improvement.

Counterimprovement.

Unfortunately in the laws eyes, this would be no different than tailing someone from the scene of a stakeout. Not saying its right, but I would say this would hold up in court, warrant or not. In fact, the argument could be made that using the devices would better enable law enforcement to get a warrant for search or seizure of private property

Their logic is that autos travel along public roads, and it's no crime to keep up with someone on public roads, as one can be followed anyway with a tail.

Since no one can expect any privacy as far as their track on a public road, no laws are violated.

Now if someone attempted to LISTEN to what was going on in the car, then this would need a warrant.

The tracking device just keeps up with your use of public roads.

This tracking device is just more cost effective than live tails.

And it's so easy to circumvent.

PLUS, if you examine your undercarriage carefully from time to time, who knows? That GPS may have just fallen off.

Or got crushed on the driveway.

But who's to tell?

I get that they can follow me, but what gives them the right to attach something to my private property? If I say no then they cannot search it, right? What law lets them do this?

Not trying to be contrary - which I can do quite well LOL. This time I'm just asking.

reply to post by TheLoony


I agree with you, there shouldn't be a right to do that. I would say though that anything with "public access" could have some legal play. If I drink a beer in my yard, I can be fined for public intox. Unless of course I have a fence around my property with a locked gate.

Cars, since they will be on public roads give them "public access". Cops couldn't put anything IN the car, but on the outside....maybe that's how they are skirting the law..dunno...I'd love to hear more.