California gang members to sport GPS trackers

Things just seem to be going downhill ever since the courts ruled that dodgy GPS tracking wasn't unlawful, and here again we're seeing Big Brother tactics being used to keep a sharp eye on ex-criminals. While no variety of console is being handed out to folks who rat out San Bernardino County gang members, officials are hoping to get several Senate Bills and an Assembly Bill passed which would divvy out "harsher punishments and monitoring standards for gang members." Essentially, ex-gang members would be required to sport GPS tracking devices so The Man can "track adult gang members currently on probation," which certainly would give them a reason to ponder whether jumping at the next temptation is really worth it. Currently, the pilot program is up and running in Apple Valley and Victorville, and so far "35 adult probationers have been fitted with GPS devices," but if you mischievous ones are counting on a lack of funding to dry this initiative up real quick like, you should probably know that Sentinel is providing the devices for the current program "at no cost."

[Via TheRawFeed]

[Jamie @ Apr 16th 2007 10:51AM]

Did anyone see the last episode of 24? Are you thinking what I'm thinking? (bloody arm in the corner)

[strider_mt2k @ Apr 16th 2007 11:18AM]

"...but if you mischievous ones are counting on a lack of funding to dry this initiative up real quick like, you should probably know that Sentinel is providing the devices for the current program "at no cost." "

Uh oh, you gangsters better make like the professional criminals and go into lobbying so you can block these things!

[hagen @ Apr 16th 2007 11:26AM]

Will scientists also be able to track their mating and migration patterns too? Will we be able to follow them on the web so we can see the impact of global warming on the arctic ice shelf like we do with Danish tracking of walruses?

[Martin @ Apr 16th 2007 11:25AM]

Didn't they already make a game about this for the Gizmondo? Totally ahead of its time.

[bgdc @ Apr 16th 2007 11:43AM]

Cost? GPS is cheap. The costs on the devices will be quite low if you consider cell phones and just about everything else in the world seems to come with GPS receivers now.

[andy @ Apr 16th 2007 11:45AM]

Your use of the terms "ex-criminal" and "ex-gang member" is confusing. If by "ex" you mean someone sentenced to 20 years who gets out in 3 and has to wear a GPS tracker for the remaining 17 years of his sentence (which usually doesn't matter anyway because they remove it when they go back into jail for parole violations like committing additional felonies), then I fail to see how the term "ex" applies.

You're not an "ex-con", "ex-criminal", or "ex-gang member" until you've served ALL of your time, made an attempt to right your wrongs, and begun contributing to society. Until then, you're nothing but a problem to be dealt with any way legitimate society sees fit. Seeing as how jail is expensive (to people like me with jobs and tax bills) and this approach apparently isn't, I think it's a worthwhile program.

Now we just need to figure out how to record everything they do and say DVR style so that when they do commit their next crime, we can capture the previous 24 hours from the device and make the trials quicker and simpler (i.e., cheaper).

[Michael Vernor @ Apr 16th 2007 12:04PM]

Hear hear! Let's have Strider from comment 2 lead us all as we lobby for Andy's plan to interate GPS and neighborhood surveilance and eliminate prison and legal fees and REDUCE MY FREEKIN' TAXES!

[chris "freedom isn't a right" @ Apr 16th 2007 12:05PM]

Sounds good to me. You aren't free if your on parole boys and girls - and this isn't big brother. Its using technology to fill in the gaps.

Bonus sides to this? What about the possibility of letting a prisoner out early BECAUSE the risk is lower aka we can track him? Billy crimeboy, if we let you out early you promisie to only go from work to home for 6 months. . "no sir, then I wouldn't be free" Okay billy, serve the rest of your 2 years at our expense.

[bgdc @ Apr 16th 2007 12:09PM]

Andy, I like your Life-vo idea. That'd be slick; they get out on the condition that they wear a live-vo (on their neck!) that transmits their actions back to a central DB each day. Pretty easy to convict with that info.

[kuzu-b @ Apr 16th 2007 2:42PM]

“War is Peace!”
"Freedom is Slavery!”
“Ignorance is Strength!”

[Tironius @ Apr 16th 2007 3:46PM]

This is a good thing. Gang members terrorized the streets with crime and murder. They have no remorse, or any other human emotion. They are animals to be delt with.

[Ryab @ Apr 17th 2007 9:46AM]

Tracking them like the animals that they are.

http://www.bestcoolpics.com

[Todd Glassey @ May 14th 2007 5:32PM]

This may be another major screwup on the State's part.

The issue is the admissibility of digital evidence and that GPS based data will likely ultimately be worthless in a court of law base on the the first time a Daubert or Frye Test is applied by a relying Court to the GPS system itself.

What these two tests are, are the basic constraints for admitting scientific testimony which is what GPS Data is... and unsecured "L1 Only" GPS fails both of them in spades.

As to why this is true... an idiot could spoof a GPS system in their sleep. It's that easy, but more importantly, the operators of the GPS system all have clear warnings about reliance on unauthenticated GPS (i.e. Civilian "L1" GPS) services for anything that doenst have human oversight... i.e. That GPS is suitable for navigating a SUV or a super tanker for that matter, but in uses where court admissible evidence is created, GPS is worthless.

Further, timestamps from GPS based devices actually violate 15 USC 271 and 15 USC 272 which are VERY clear on which Federal Agencies can distribute Time Data... and guess what, the USNO is not one of them according to the US Law.

I am not saying this is right - but it is the law by my reading of them statutes.

Todd Glassey