GM's OnStar system has many uses: directions, emergency services, finding the nearest sushi bar -- but fighting crime? That's exactly what happened when police arrested a south Florida teen for vandalism recently, apparently after locating him with help from OnStar's records.
One night this past November the teen allegedly drove his 2007 GMC onto the soccer field of St. Joseph's Episcopal School in Boynton Beach (near Palm Beach) and began doing donuts, tearing up the turf. During the event, which caused $24k in damage, the boy's wild driving caused OnStar to receive a "collision notification." After a subpoena this record was turned over to police, who used it to place the vandal at the scene of the incident.
Reports don't specify how the police discovered the collision notice, whether they already knew the vehicle was a GMC or had other evidence implicating the teen (calling up OnStar in the hope the vandal drove a GM car seems a pretty big shot in the dark). However it provides an interesting caution: telematics and GPS systems provide wonderful convenience, but can leave a trail. The more our vehicles are wired, the less private they become. What do you think? Should police be able to use GPS data to help catch criminals, or is this a worrying step toward the end of privacy?
Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel