The LAPD will outfit cars with a device that propels and sticks a GPS onto a fleeing car.

The department will mount the StarChase LLC device in the grill of some squad cars. “Officers in the car would control a green lazar light, similar to an aiming device that fixes on your target,” said LAPD Lieutenant Paul Vernon on Friday. “A small dart-like device is propelled from the officer’s car.”

The officer also will have a remote unit, about the size of a device that unlocks a car, when they’re outside the patrol car.

Each StarChase unit can fire two GPS tracking devices in case the first one misses or does not stick to the vehicle. The GPS device consists of a battery and a radio transmitter embedded in an epoxy compound.

The GPS tag activates at impact. It transmits the car’s exact position via a wireless modem. An encrypted cellular backbone delivers continuous position updates to the StarChase server that pushes location-based information to authorized users through a password-protected Web portal.

Via archinect Information week.