South Dakota Troopers Adopt Technology For Safer Pursuits

It's one of the most difficult decisions facing law enforcement officers every day - whether to engage in a high-speed pursuit in an attempt to apprehend a potentially dangerous suspect or to call off that pursuit so as not to put other vehicles on the road in harm's way.

High Tech Help

New technology is helping local authorities navigate those scenarios in a way that is both effective and safe.

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The South Dakota Highway Patrol now has another key tool to track suspects without putting lives at risk: the StarChase Pursuit Management System. Combined with the long-standing use of the patrol airplane, these resources give troopers safer options to manage pursuits.

How It Works

The StarChase system launches a small tracker onto a fleeing vehicle, allowing troopers to monitor its movements in real time through GPS-based technology. This gives law enforcement the ability to back away from a high-speed chase while still keeping tabs on a suspect’s location until an arrest can be made in a controlled manner.

Air Support

In addition to StarChase, the SDHP’s airplane continues to be one of the Patrol’s most effective pursuit management tools. Operating high above, the airplane provides troopers on the ground with real-time updates on a suspect’s movements, reducing the need for ground units to follow at dangerous speeds.

StarChase has been installed on multiple SDHP patrol units across South Dakota.