July 26, 2012 9:00am by David Farrar

GPS and Police

A Christchurch couple used a GPS iPhone app to track burglars who had just fled from their home.

The software led the couple to two Gloucester St flats where the burglars were held up. They called police, but were told officers could not enter as they did not have a search warrant.

The thieves later made off and the stolen items have not yet been recovered.

Couldn’t the Police have had someone stay by the House, while a warrant was obtained?

Using Yeng’s iPhone the GPS showed Liu’s iPhone was moving from Matipo St towards Riccarton Rd.

Liu called the police and explained they were tracking the offenders.

Yeng got in his car and followed the vehicle to a Gloucester St property and waited.

When the police arrived at the couple’s Matipo St home Liu said she was told they could not inspect the Gloucester St property without a search warrant, which could take days to obtain.

It could, but it also could take an hour or so.

She felt search warrant legislation was “too strict” and offered protection to the “bad guys”.

Inspector Alan Weston said police currently needed a search warrant to enter a property.

However, a new Search and Surveillance Act, which was to come into effect shortly, would make searching a property “a lot more simple”, he said.

The act will enable an officer to enter a place or vehicle without warrant to search for and arrest a person if the constable has “reasonable grounds”.

Good to hear of the law change, but I still feel they could have acted pretty promptly under current law.