Local police waiting to evaluate new 'GPS Cannon'

It's called StarChase, and it could eliminate the need for high-speed pursuits in some cases for the Iowa State Patrol.

So far, they only have one vehicle outfitted with the device, a cannon that fires out an adhesive-tipped GPS tracker that sticks to a target vehicle. The State Patrol says it could make roadways safer for other motorists who would otherwise be put in danger if they were near a vehicle chase.

But other law enforcement agencies are waiting to see how the device performs before they invest in it. Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner recognizes the value of such a device, but says there are other factors to take into consideration.

He said for his agency, which is only involved in a handful of what would be termed "high-speed" pursuits every year, it may not be worth the money (StarChase costs about $5,000 for the system, and another $500 per GPS round). He says it also requires law enforcement vehicles to be fairly close to their target vehicle to be able to hit it with the cannon, possibly putting the officer at risk.