Law could make GPS trackers illegal

Some lawmakers say GPS trackers are a form of stalking, but private investigators say they save lives. A new law could get rid of the practice, but not if private investigators have anything to say about it.

Thomas Fischer, a private investigator who represents other investigators, says GPS trackers have helped solve crimes.

\"We had a cab taken in an armed robbery and driver was killed, because of GPS trackers we could locate a cab in a short period of time, made an arrest.\"

He says the proposed law is uneducated.

\"There is not one known case of a private investigator in state of Wisconsin using GPS' illegally.\"

But State Representative Adam Neylon disagrees.

State Rep. Neylon says, \"A lot of times we find that individuals that are being tracked are victims of private investigators that are tracking their every move.\"

He wants it to be a misdemeanor, a 9 month jail sentence if the trackers are used. He says right now private investigators have more rights than police.

State Rep. Neylon says, \"We don't believe it's right to allow private investigators to do the same thing we'd require law enforcement officers to get a warrant to do.\"

Fischer says if the law passes stalkers will continue to get GPS trackers but investigators won't.

\"If they have an intent to do that, they're going to buy these units off the internet and use these things, by limiting us, it's going to hurt us and harm someone down the line.\"

The law was passed through the state house and is now in the senate.