Sheriff eyes GPS darts and net-launching bumpers to aid in car chases

To aid in vehicle pursuits, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) discussed the possible acquisition of vehicle-mounted GPS launchers and police bumpers.

At a work session with the Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) yesterday, Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders led TCSO representatives in discussing the mechanisms and costs of each technology.

The county aims to mitigate pursuits by implementing these systems due to recent changes in pursuit law that are going into effect this June.

Starchase

Starchase is a GPS tracker deployed with a search warrant from a patrol vehicle to track any fleeing vehicle.

It will allow deputies to disengage from close pursuits but still track and locate suspects from a distance. Starchase can also be deployed in emergencies without a search warrant.

Sanders said that based on police videos, the patrol vehicle must be within approximately 20 feet of the fleeing vehicle.

Starchase costs $5,642 per device, and it has an annual subscription of $1,500 per vehicle (web access and unlimited tracker darts), $702 for installation fees for the first four vehicles, and a one-time cost of $3,500 for operator and instructor certification.

“In order to comply with pedestrian safety stuff…we're not shooting this bullet down the road,” said Sanders.

The $1,500 annual subscription per vehicle includes as many tags as TCSO needs, Sanders said. 

“If you have a bunch stolen cars, you keep tagging. They [the Starchase vendor] keeps sending you more darts [to] swap out so it's unlimited darts,” Sanders said.

Grappler

Grappler Police Bumper is a system that provides the ability to deputies to stop pursuits with minimal force.

The system is mounted on patrol vehicles and looks like traditional bumpers. Grappler may stop pursuits without having to conduct a precision immobilization technique (P.I.T.) maneuver.

It is a safer means of stopping a fleeing vehicle than P.I.T., and it also causes less damage to patrol vehicles.

Deputies can use grapplers in areas with other citizen traffic, as they can stop vehicles that cannot be stopped normally.

Each Grappler Police Bumper costs $7,000 per unit for installation and training, $600 for additional pit bar assembly, and $325 for replacement nets, which can only be used once.

“If you can think of the two technologies, Starchase is a little more tech-savvy and the Grappler is more rudimentary,” said Sanders.

The work session is meant for an informational discussion only. The commissioners would decide on the acquisitions at a later meeting.