Not Everyone Understands GPS

Stating that GPS is a highly complex system that boggles the minds of most people is an understatement. Multiple satellites hurtling around the earth, signals constantly shooting back and forth into space, and calculation adjustments because of Einstein’s theory of relativity are enough to make us throw up our hands and give up. We are happy to simply push a few buttons, look at the map that magically appears, and follow a colorful arrow to our destination. We’ll leave the details to the scientists and trust them to keep the whole system working.

It appears, however, that some people have a hard time fully understanding even the surface operation of GPS devices. In Colorado, a man on parole inexplicably ignored the presence of his GPS anklet and went on a crime spree, leaving a trail of condemning tracking data behind him.

Missing the Point of His Anklet

It’s unclear whether the parolee even knew what his court-appointed GPS anklet was intended to do. After he was convicted of trying to steal—of all things—a GPS navigator, a judge ordered him to wear the anklet so that police could keep tabs on him. Given his subsequent actions, it is hard to believe that the man understood that the anklet was constantly providing data. Perhaps he thought police simply “checked in” every once in a while, and as long as he got back home by a certain time no one would know where he had gone?

In any case, police began receiving calls one evening as the man broke into an unbelievable fifteen houses. He may as well have left a confession note at each location, because his anklet’s GPS data clearly placed him at the crime scene in every case. It didn’t take long to track him down, place him under arrest, and begin the process of what will certainly be a quick criminal trial.

The Danger of Ignoring GPS

It is quickly becoming more dangerous for criminals, dishonest employees, unfaithful spouses, and other less-than-up-front people to disregard the power of GPS. In some cases, people technically are aware they are being tracked, but it slips their minds and they revert to old habits. The odd case of the burglar in Colorado may have been an extreme case of this forgetfulness. But in many cases, GPS is becoming so prevalent that people should assume that what they are doing is going to show up on someone’s computer monitor with a flashing red dot. Here are a few practices that are becoming very common:

• Banks slipping tiny GPS trackers into stacks of cash for thieves


• Parents installing trackers in the trunks of rebellious teens’ cars


• Suspicious wives tracking husbands using the family car


• Cargo transporters spreading trackers randomly throughout valuable freight loads


• Hiding trackers on ATVs, bicycles, and other expensive equipment that may be stored outdoors

Police would be thrilled to see GPS tracking provide benefits far beyond its actual ability to detect criminals’ actions. The deterrent factor will be extremely valuable if potential thieves know that there is a good chance they are about to steal a hidden tracker. This effect is already visible on some college campuses, where authorities have publicized a “bait bike” program. Simply by stating that they have fitted a few bikes with GPS trackers, officials have been able to practically end bike theft on their campuses. The threat of being caught red-handed with a stolen bike is enough to make most thieves abandon their plans.

Adjusting to a World with GPS

Just like the rest of us, criminals will make adjustments to their daily life to include GPS. Right now, the tide appears to be in favor of preventing crime, but that could change. As with any technology, there are pros and cons to be considered:

Pros	Cons
Small GPS devices are becoming less expensive and easier to plant on potentially stolen items	Thieves could identify the location of targets by hacking GPS tracking data
The simple possibility of GPS tracking deters thieves	If able to falsify GPS data, criminals could lead police astray during a chase
GPS anklets free up police resources when monitoring parolees	Reliance on GPS creates a target for terrorists who would like to jam signals
Victims of crimes can be located quickly and rescued using cell phone GPS data	Stalkers and sexual predators can spy on victims by secretly placing trackers on vehicles

Not all criminals will treat GPS with the laughable disregard of the house burglar in Colorado. While that case ended quickly thanks to GPS, it may not be long before we see criminals use the technology to their own advantage instead. Experts will certainly be kept busy coming up with new ways to prevent crime in a world increasingly dependent on GPS tracking.

Not Everyone Understands GPS