BBC1 Traffic Cops 53

What people? What chase? Conor simply asked:

"Ever watch TV programmes where it shows the Police trying to find a car equipped with a tracker?"

Well in this programme (you did see it, yeah?), that's exactly what happened - they found a car equipped with a tracker.

More and more I get the feeling that you're not really reading this thread Adrian, you're just looking for things to argue about and it's showing when you completely lose the point as above.

Just sticking to the facts and answering the questions rather than inventing a chase and people in a chase!!

If they don't know they're being tracked, they don't run away. They may well lead the cops to their lock up, to their homes, their dealers, whatever. It might be advantageous to quietly track them. They only leg it when there's coppers chasing them.

I really think we're talking at cross purposes here Adrian. There was no crash, there was no people to run away. They just tracked parked stolen car to its location. That two minute tracking didn't cause any problems at all.

And not surprisingly, you simply post a bunch of 'problems' that aren't problems at all. Again.

Oh yeah, and every scrote will have one because they'll be £50 each on the market or you can make them with instructions from the internet. And then they'll be in a nice package that you can run around with. They'll be just as successful as those speed camera jammers! How many car thief scrotes are equipped with Tracker jammers huh?

No, because it simply IDs the car properly. Does every mobile phone in your office ring when someone phones you? Clearly not.

So how does the copper ID the car? Even if it has false plates on? Read on...

For a start it would be *trivial* for the cop car to collect the IDs of all cars in range whilst tailing a car. Do it again 10 seconds later and discount any entry that isn't present in both lists. There you go, in a stroke you've just ruled out the problem of activating cars on the other side of the road. Secondly, before activation of the speed limiter the copper uses the system to get the car to flash its hazard lights-rear lights, whatever. This is just another command in the protocol implemented. This confirms to the copper that he's locked onto the right car. The car could even respond with model-make and current speed information for double and triple confirmation. He then initially tells the car to slow a *little* bit. That's *further* confirmation is shown when the car he's tailing slows down. Then he continues to slow the car down, down and down - potentially to a stop although I suspect slowing it to 20mph or so would cause the occupants to stop, jump out and abandon it.

Easy - and no risk to public life.

Blimey Adrian, even 10 seconds worth of thought eliminated that problem straight away. A schoolkid could have solved that. Are you just not really a 'thinker' or did you not bother thinking about it? Or did you simply want to attack the idea fully in the knowledge that your 'problems' were trivial to fix?

And here you are using such trivial 'problems' to rule out such a solution and therefore advocate the continuation of S&H style car chases.

Crazy.

Perhaps, but it's only like they target cars without immobilisers and alarms these days. The fact that there will be a period where it's not quite as useful doesn't mean you shouldn't start to introduce it. Like I say, they could make it possible to have it retro fitted as people have Trackers fitted. Scrotes would not be able to rely on a given age of car not having it fitted.

Clearly much more than you think about your 'problems'. See above.

agreed with you ("Which is fine by me"), when *you* said "If you get caught for not having insurance, then you are get the book lobbed at you"? Remember that? I've even talked of various extra ways to detect them - like ANPR plate recognition at petrol stations.

I'm simply saying that if you want to try and eliminate the problem, it's no good burying your head in the sand about it - you have to *understand* why they don't get insurance - and why such a practice is on the increase. The cost is surely a *major* factor.

Hmm.. these were initially mentioned by Paul and in fact a simple search on the internet shows them to be in trials in the US. So much for "magic". You *did* do your research on them of course...? I believe I even posted a link...

Y'see, you're clearly not even reading what I'm writing. I actually *acknowledged* that at the point of the torch, their presence would be seen and may well actually convince the crim that they're already nicked because their image has been captured and there's no point legging it to try and avoid identification.

Do you not remember that?

Jeez Adrian, having unmarked cops driving up alongside cars known to have no insurance in order to take a snapshot or video (with a torch if it's dark), *before* making themselves known as coppers is hardly high-end James Bond stuff, it's a simple procedure.

When did I say that? Petrol stations sure, but what's with the street corner stuff? Surely you're not lying now? Please don't reduce yourself to that Adrian.

Such systems are already in place for credit card fraud. It's *not* difficult.

All three above options are feasible with a little more R&D. I'm getting the impression you're not really a technical person given the way such solutions seem like "magic" to you. Am I right?

Too many.