Police Install High-Tech Tracking System

The Gardena Police Department has become the first law enforcement agency in the nation to use a high-tech information system in patrol cars designed to make catching crooks easier.

The department has equipped more than four dozen police vehicles with a Teletrac transmitter, a radio-based information system linked to a network that can track the movement of each police car. The system features an emergency alert button that automatically locates a police vehicle in distress and helps the dispatcher identify the proximity of the nearest backup units.

As the first agency to test the system, Gardena is receiving it for free. Future customers will pay $600 per car.

Other features include a real-time graphic display of the location of all police units, an ability to create a document that proves the police were present at a scene and a navigational tool to monitor police pursuits.

“It’s another tool we can use for officer safety and crime prevention,” said Lt. Ron Panter, who said the department has been using the transmitting devices for two weeks. “It will also help the watch sergeant ascertain where there is a hole in the patrol area and which car can get there quickly.”

Panter said the system is particularly helpful in situations where police need backup.

So far the department has equipped all patrol cars, prisoner and transport vans, undercover detective units and parking enforcement vehicles with the portable transmitters.

Teletrac spokesman Arnie Peller said the technology has been used by private individuals and commercial fleets to locate stolen vehicles or cargo. He said Teletrac will soon be added to fleets in about 20 other cities nationwide.