Missouri Police May Reduce Fatal Car Chases with New Device

Shannon Weidemann

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Police car chases can sometimes end in fatal car accidents for innocent bystanders. The Missouri State Legislator is considering two bills that may help reduce the number of fatal accidents. The StarChase Device will allow a police officer to tag a car and track it from a safe distance.

Rep. Jeff Roorda, a 17-year veteran of the Kimmswick and Arnold police departments, is sponsoring two separate bills that would allow police departments in St. Louis and Kansas City to apply for state grants to buy the device. The legislation would cover up to half the cost of the device.

Those bills are awaiting public committee hearings. A similar bill filed late in the legislative session last year failed to move beyond committee.

The device is being tested in Florida and California. People that are critical of the device say that it is expensive and has not undergone enough testing. 32 innocent people were killed in car chases in the state of Missouri from 2000 to 2005.