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In an effort to combat rising car thefts, police in Morris County have started using spike strips to disable fleeing vehicles. The strips, which flatten the tires of a car, were deployed in half of the towns in Morris County on Thursday as part of a training exercise to ensure correct timing and safety.
The spike strips are deployed like an accordion and are designed to bring high-speed police chases to a halt. The Morris County Prosecutor's Office used $57,000 in funds forfeited by criminals to purchase 90 Stinger Spike System Model 90200 Trooper Tire Deflation Devices. The devices are planned to be distributed to 13 of Morris County's 37 police agencies, with hopes to equip them all soon.
"We're introducing something today that has been proven successful in numerous jurisdictions," said Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll to the Morristown Daily Record. "We have a high degree of confidence that these will be very effective."