Louisiana Town Adopts Tech to Alert Drivers of Police Chases

(TNS) — The Brusly Town Council voted unanimously Monday night to adopt “digital siren” technology, nearly two years after a police chase ended in the deaths of two local teenagers.

The warning system is meant to alert drivers and pedestrians when a police chase is nearby or may move into their area.

Caroline Gill , 15, was one of the victims in the New Year’s 2022 crash, caused when an Addis police officer ran a red light at a high rate of speed while engaged in a pursuit.

Her father, Jason Gill , said Monday night’s vote to adopt the Digital Siren system from Pursuit Alert was “bittersweet.”

“Their accident was literally less than 100 yards from where we were standing last night,” Gill said.

According to Gill, Brusly will be the first police department in Louisiana to make use of the system.

The devices will be installed in police vehicles and work by sending a loud notification, similar to an Amber alert, to phones that have the Digital Siren app. The alert is supposed to come 45 seconds before a possible chase would be near motorists and lets them know to be aware or get off of the road.

The WAZE map app is already integrated with Digital Siren, as are newer models of Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge Ram vehicles.

Digital sirens won’t give the exact location or route of a chase, but will trigger if vehicles are in pursuit within 1.5 miles. The system will go into effect in a couple weeks, Gill said.

According to Gill, the system’s purpose is to make it easier for police “to do the job that we expect them to do as the community,” he said.

Since the deaths of his daughter and her friend, Maggie Dunn , 17, Gill has spoken out about police pursuits, specifically how they might be made less dangerous for bystanders on the road.

He is the founder of the Caroline Grace Gill Foundation , which has worked to lessen the death toll from police pursuits.

Other changes have sprouted from Gill’s efforts: Addis police now require regular defensive driving training; Baton Rouge Police Department has updated its pursuit policy, and a legislative task force has attempted to mandate stricter pursuit policies across Louisiana .

Gill’s foundation donated the cost of the Digital Siren technology for the first year of its use. It will cost $321 annually for Brusly to continue operating using the system.

The next step is to make Brusly pedestrians and motorists aware of the app, which has to be downloaded for drivers to receive the alerts.

“We’ll be going door to door with an information card or door-hanger, with QR codes and all to download the app,” Gill said. He said the foundation will also be doing promotion on social media.

The devices and their partnering app were developed by Pursuit Alert, whose founder, Tim Morgan , reached out to Gill and the Dunn family following the New Year’s crash.

The company’s products are in use in other states, including at departments in South Carolina and Alabama . Gill said the response from officials in Brusly , which is the first municipality to adopt the technology, has been great.

“We don’t wanna stop here, we want to go further,” Gill said.

He has met with officials with West Baton Rouge Parish , but hopes to expand use of digital sirens to Iberville , Pointe Coupee and East Baton Rouge parishes as well.

Gill said his foundation would be happy to assist small police departments that are looking to add this technology but are uncertain if their budgets will allow for it.

“It’s been a long journey. It’s a small step, but it’s a step,” he said.

© 2024 The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.