Using GPS to Track Drug Thefts

In an effort to combat a rise in pharmacy robbies the New York City police department has unveiled a plan to use 'bait bottles' equipped with GPS trackers. The Los Angeles Times reports that the police are building a database of nearly 6,000 licensed pharmacies in New York City to which they will be able to randomly distribute the bottles to starting in March. Each bottle will be equipped with an invisible GPS device and filled with placebo pain-killers. Eventually the pills themselves could be affixed with GPS, but further research and testing must be completed first. In addition to the bottles the department is also rolling out an enhanced training program for officers and a public education campaign. The Drug Enforcement Administration estimates that armed robberies of drug stores has increased 79 percent nationwide between 2006 and 2010.