LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Louisville Metro Police say high-speed chases are one of the most dangerous parts of the job.
As part of his proposed budget, Mayor Craig Greenberg wants to put millions of dollars toward new technology for officers on patrol that could help cut down on chases.
Part of that funding would create a new pilot program called StarChase, an initiative LMPD said is in its very early stages.
Through the program, officers would be able to shoot a GPS tag from the front bumper of a police cruiser onto a suspect's car, allowing them to track the vehicle in real-time through an app.
The device attaches a GPS tracker to a vehicle, allowing officers to follow it without a pursuit. (Video courtesy of Louisville Metro Government)
Police could then monitor the suspect without getting into dangerous, high-speed chases. Each tag has an eight-hour tracking window, which is how long officers would have to catch their suspect at a safer location.
"The big thing here is technology," LMPD Spokesperson Dwight Mitchell said. "LMPD is evolving just like society is, and this is another tool in our toolbelt to do that."
StarChase's website claims the tag complies with the Fourth Amendment, which protects individuals against "unreasonable searches and seizures" by the government. It also says no one has ever been injured or died while using this technology in other cities. LMPD said these trackers would not damage cars.
The pilot program depends on Metro Council approving Greenberg's proposed budget, which was unveiled Thursday. Because of that, LMPD said it's too early to share how many StarChase tags it could buy or go into into detail about officer training for the program.
Copyright 2026 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
