CHARLESTON, WV – West Virginia will install GPS devices in state trooper vehicles, according to The Register-Herald Reporter. The device can tell headquarters a vehicle’s precise location. A $493,614 grant was secured for the systems under the Community Oriented Policing Services program (COPS). The grant finances GPS devices for all 600 cruisers used by the State Police.

One advantage of the system is that it can save time, and gas by pinpointing exact locations of troopers’ calls, once the gadget is plugged into a computer.

Another means of enhancing communications — wireless broadband access — is still some time off, but ultimately will improve the system so that it is more proficient across the state, according to The Register-Herald Reporter.