Bumbling police navigation systems making car pursuits more difficult

Police officers are struggling with the police's new navigation system, especially when it comes to car pursuits or responding to a crime scene. Regular problems with wrong routes and freezing screens can result in dangerous situations, they complain according to RTL Nieuws.

The system regularly gives incorrect route information. Police cars are sometimes sent across busy shopping streets. The system ignores speed limits and obstacles on the road, which means an officer can be sent into a residential area at 120 km per hour, a Rotterdam sergeant said to the broadcaster.

Another common complaint is that the system automatically turns off when the vehicle arrives at the destination. This means that if the officer drove past accidentally, or had to make a detour, the system lost the destination. This could have disastrous consequences, especially when officers are responding to violent crimes.

The system also has sustainability issues. For example, its fragile keyboard breaks off easily if bumped. And it can take up to six weeks for the system to be repaired. One officer complained to the broadcaster that he's been using a pen to type the letter V for two weeks.

This is not the first transport-related problem the police had recently. Last month 300 police cars were recalled because the automatic braking system made it impossible to chase down suspects.