GPS units meant to slow speeding sheriffs turned off

Three years after a sheriff van crashinjured fivepeople and a warning was issued by RCMP to a top sheriff to slow his officers down, the Department of Justice's solution to the problem is still not in place.

Following aCBC News investigation into the crash which injured three inmates and two sheriffs officers, then-justice minister Troy Liffordtold CBC News he'd made an order to have GPS units installed in the vehicle fleet.

"I mean that's for not only the protection of our fleet, but also the protection of our sheriffs, the detainees that we transport all over the province, and the general public," saidLifford.

The systemwould send an automatic alert if the vehicle was being driven at excessive speeds.

The software wasbrought online, but deactivated again after twodays "due to numerous issues," CBC News has learned.

Documentsobtained through the Right to Information Actstate the units were installed in February and March, 2014. The software wasfirst activated onJuly 21, and deactivated on the July23.

Justice Minister Stephen Horsman said in a letter to CBC News, "the department's efforts are still ongoing in order to resolve the technical issues of the GPS tracking software."

Horsman was not available Wednesday to elaborate.

'Inexcusable speeds'

During its investigation into the April 23, 2012, sheriff van crash,CBC News obtained a September 2012 internal email by ahead sheriff warningofficers to slow down.

The head sheriff said RCMPhadclocked somesheriff vansat "inexcusable speeds" of134km/h, 147 km/hand 152 km/h.

He noted, "a serious accident could easily arise."

GPS devices designed to track location and speed are widely used in the commercial trucking industry. Home devices,allowing parents to track their teenager's driving habits,can be purchased for less than $200 and installed in minutes.

A monthly subscription fee is then paid to the manufacturer for software tracking and phone and email alerts that are sent immediately when certain speeds are exceeded.

The devices are required under the department's Sheriff Services transferspolicy "as a mechanism to improve safety, verify incidents, and help improve asset use."

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