The Federal Way Police Department has been conducting a trial run of new vehicle tracking technology that aims to prevent dangerous police chases.

The StarChase system is advertised on their website as an “alternative” to high-speed pursuits.

Federal Way Police Officer Jordan Ellis said that following the passage of state laws that restrict when police can engage in a high-speed pursuit, he has encountered more people fleeing from traffic stops in the last year than in the previous 20 years of his career.

Ellis, who has been the sole FWPD officer testing out the StarChase system, said the technology can help police track vehicles without having to engage in a high-speed pursuit that puts vehicles and bystanders at risk of injury or even death.

It works by launching a GPS-tracked object from the grill of the police car that attaches to a vehicle with an adhesive that Ellis said was designed to not do damage to the vehicle.

It works by using compressed air to launch the projectile onto a fleeing or stolen vehicle so that police can back off the pursuit and use the GPS tracker to locate where the vehicle ends up before apprehending the suspect.

Ellis said that just last week, it was used to track a vehicle that was believed to be stolen. He said police were able to track the location of the then-unoccupied stolen vehicle and get it back to the owner within hours.

Ellis said the system only requires a day of training to be able to properly use, and is “definitely” a safer option for police to track fleeing vehicles than it is to engage in a high-speed pursuit with them.