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NEWS
Euro cops developing remote stopping device
Authorities are honing a device to halt fleeing suspects at the flick of a switchIt all sounds a tad Big Brother for our liking, but the European Union is reportedly developing a ‘remote stopping’ device that would enable the police to curtail pursuits by disabling other vehicles at the flick of a switch.
The plan has allegedly been outlined in a confidential document prepared by a committee of senior EU police officers as part of wider law enforcement surveillance and tracking measures to keep a lid on crime and terrorism.
A report in UK newspaper The Daily Telegraph suggests the devices could be fitted in all new Euro-spec cars by the end of the decade, subsequently enabling a fleeing suspect’s vehicle to be brought to a halt by remotely cutting its fuel supply and ignition.
The device would be operable by a police officer working from a computer in a central control room.
A six-year development program is being scheduled for the technology, which would make redundant measures such as spiking tyres, which is currently used by police in countries such as the UK.
The debate the remote stopping device is likely to spark is whether it impinges on civil liberties and places too much power in the hands of the police.
Statewatch, a watchdog that monitors police powers in Europe, has called for clear guidelines on how the system would be used, and under what circumstances.
“Let’s have some evidence that this is a problem, and then let’s have some guidelines on how this would be used,” Statewatch director Tony Bunyan was quoted as saying in The Daily Telegraph.
David Davis, a Conservative MP in the UK, argues the technology could, in fact, be counterproductive by posing a danger to other motorists.
“I would be fascinated to know what the state’s liability will be if they put these devices in all vehicles and one went off by accident whilst a car was doing 70mph [112km/h] on a motorway with a truck behind it resulting in loss of life,” he was quoted as saying.
The system’s proponents claim otherwise, saying, “Cars on the run can be dangerous for citizens. Criminal offenders will take risks to escape after a crime. In most cases the police are unable to chase the criminal due to a lack of efficient means to stop the vehicle safely.”
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Written byGautam Sharma
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