MN police may get expanded powers to use high-tech tools to track stolen vehicles

The rise in the number of car thefts, including carjackings, throughout the Twin Cities and around the state needs to be addressed urgently, and by using as many different policing tools as possible, says Rep. Kelly Moller (DFL-Shoreview).

One such tool could be high-tech. Specifically, the use of GPS trackers.

Moller sponsors HF686, which would permit law enforcement officers to attach a mobile tracking device to stolen vehicles without prior court approval if the vehicle owner grants consent or reports to law enforcement that the vehicle was stolen.

The House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Finance and Policy Committee, which Moller chairs, approved the bill Thursday and sent it to the House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee.

With a tracking device attached, Moller said law enforcement officers can forego dangerous high-speed pursuits and instead monitor the stolen vehicle’s location, waiting until it is stopped before attempting an arrest. Chases can endanger innocent passengers unwillingly caught up in a carjacked vehicle, public bystanders, and pursuing officers.

“We want law enforcement to be able to use these devices solely to be able to stop this car when it is safe to do so,” she said.

Ramsey County Undersheriff Mike Martin said there are several ways officers could attach a GPS tracking device to a stolen vehicle, even when its moving. One way would be to launch a GPS device nestled inside a super-sticky sponge-like covering.

Police could also toss a device resembling a hockey puck into the bed of a fleeing pick-up truck, Martin said. Or if a stolen vehicle is connected to companies such as OnStar, police could contact the service for access to the real-time tracking data.

Martin said these devices may also act as deterrents because once thieves learn police have these tracking tools, they might have second thoughts about stealing a vehicle.

Under the bill, law enforcement would have to remove or disable a tracking device after 24 hours or secure court approval for longer tracking.

Any tracking device evidence collected after the motor vehicle is returned to the owner would be inadmissible in court.

Having those rules in place is important to guard against privacy infringements and improper police surveillance, said Rep. Sandra Feist (DFL-New Brighton).

“It is incredibly important as technology is advancing that we keep privacy top of mind.”