Pill bottle with GPS tracker leads police directly to theft suspect

SOUTH MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) - A Milwaukee man is arrested after allegedly stealing a prescription pill bottle with GPS tracker from a South Milwaukee pharmacy.

27-year-old Charles Redd faces charges of burglary and resisting arrest.

Redd is accused of breaking into Aurora Pharmacy.  He was arrested in Cudahy, after following  the GPS.

“We had the person in custody before we were able to respond to that alarm,” said South Milwaukee Police Captain Jill Kallay.

Capt. Kallay says without the GPS, an arrest was probably not likely.

The GPS is technology from a company called 3SI. The devices can be put on anything from pill bottles to money.

In this case, police didn’t respond to the pharmacy, they went right for the package on the move.

“It’s going to allow law enforcement to use this GPS tool and it’s going to take us where that item is located and right to where our suspect is located,” said Capt. Kallay.

The technology is paid for by private companies like Aurora Health.

They released a statement saying:

“We're proud of our team members at the Aurora Pharmacy in South Milwaukee who used this innovative tactic to help lead law enforcement to the suspects and keep stolen prescription drugs off the street. As a health care leader, we are committed to working with local authorities, and we will continue to explore new and effective ways to curtail pharmacy theft in our community.”

Capt. Kallay hopes more companies follow Aurora’s lead and this technology becomes more common.

“I think it’s going to be law enforcement technology for the future,” she said.

Two other men were also arrested, charges are pending.