SUFFOLK SHERIFF ANNOUNCES PILOT OF GPS TECHNOLOGY TO APPREHEND FLEEING VEHICLES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 23, 2026

SUFFOLK SHERIFF ANNOUNCES PILOT OF GPS TECHNOLOGY TO APPREHEND FLEEING VEHICLES

STARCHASE TECHNOLOGY ALLOWS OFFICERS TO SAFELY APPREHEND SUSPECTS TRYING TO FLEE ARREST

(YAPHANK, NY) On Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 12:00 PM Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr. was joined by officials and advocates to showcase a new technology currently being piloted in the DWI enforcement unit to allow officers to safely respond to high-risk pursuits.  The StarChase technology includes a GPS activated dart that is launched to the fleeing vehicle so the officer can apprehend in a safe manner.  The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office is the first law enforcement agency in the County to pilot this technology.  

“We have seen dozens of people try to evade arrest causing dangerous situations for themselves, our offices and the community at large.  With our DWI team equipped with the StarChase GPS technology, it will help them apprehend subjects during high-risk events by safely giving our officers access to their real-time location, speed and direction.  This tool will make their work even more effective and our roads even safer,” said Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr.

StarChase provides law enforcement with the ability to deploy an adhesive GPS tag onto a fleeing suspects’ vehicle.  Once attached to the vehicle, officers and dispatch utilize the GPS service to track the vehicle in a tactical and safe manner without evolving into a high-speed pursuit. The technology is proven over 85% effective on a host of vehicle offenses ranging from fleeing, stolen vehicles, DUI’s, human trafficking, narcotics trafficking, and other offenses.

In the past year, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office deputies have encountered dozens of instances where subjects attempted to flee before or after being apprehended. Only in use for a few weeks, the technology has already been successfully used to apprehend a suspect that refused to yield and was later charged with an aggravated DWI. 

For more information, please visit www.suffolksheriff.com or email SheriffPIO@SuffolkCountyny.gov.