Cops Use Suspect's GPS, Google Earth to Find Pot Fields

Police officers in Racine, WI arrested a man for possession of 18 pounds of marijuana last week after a traffic stop, but the investigation then went high tech, according to the Journal Times.

[Dean] Brown was arrested for felony drug possession, but that was just the beginning of the investigation. Deputies found a GPS unit around Brown’s neck with coordinates to areas throughout Racine County, the complaint said.

On Saturday, Metro Drug agents plugged coordinates saved in Brown’s GPS unit into Google Earth, a searchable compilation of satellite images available through the Internet. By entering the coordinates, agents were able to find the locations in Racine County programmed into the GPS unit.

Members of the Metro Drug Unit went to two sites off Dover Line Road, near where Brown was arrested. They first found six plants tied to corn stalks with string to hold them up. The roots had vermiculite around them, which is often used to start plants at home before transplanting them elsewhere. The next site had two plants growing in a field.

The use of Google Earth here is a bit gratuitous. While it's a very good visualization tool, its hardly necessary to use once you have latitude and longitude. Any old map or GPS unit (including the one confiscated from Brown) get you where you think you might want to go.

But how far away is Google Earth from replacing DEA helicopter overflights in places like Humboldt, CA?

And as for the guy who seems to have stored the coordinates of his growing fields in a GPS unit? Dude, if you can't remember where your own stashes are, you should think of that as a sign, not as indication that you should buy a GPS device.

Update: Commenter "Herb Green" points out that all this went down not far from this park. I've driven by this park, but I never went in.

Photo: almogaver Hat Tip: Talk Left