OAK BROOK, Ill. (CBS) — Police in Oak Brook are using a device that may look like a gun, but it doesn’t shoot bullets – it fires GPS tags.

As CBS 2’s Tara Molina reported Friday, the GPS tag guns are the latest tool being used by the Oak Brook Police Department, among others – so as to eliminate the need to chase criminals.

GPS darts can be deployed from the front grille of a police cruiser, or from a handheld launcher. A split-second decision is made easy, as all it takes is one dart to affix a GPS-equipped tag on a vehicle.

This eliminates the need for possible high-speed chases, worries about police jurisdiction issues, and any concerns about danger on the roads.

High-speed police chases are not only a safety concern, but sometimes they’re not even an option. Police and sheriff’s departments across the country – including in Illinois – are following different rules when it comes to chasing a wanted criminal, and when to stop chasing entirely.

“We’ll have the ability to track that vehicle with our map, coordinate resources with other agencies and surrounding officers, and make the apprehension on that vehicle without having to endanger the lives of those around,” Oak Brook police Detective Sgt. Jason Wood explained.

The Oak Brook Police Department started using StarChase GPS dart technology a few years ago – and hasn’t looked back.

“The reality is that everyone runs from the police nowadays,” said Oak Brook police Chief Brian Strockis. “There’s more pursuits than we’ve ever seen before.”

Strockis said the darts have made all the difference.

“We’ve had specific situations where this technology has helped us to get to that location safely and make that apprehension, and recover stolen vehicles – when otherwise, we may have terminated a pursuit because it was just getting too dangerous,” he said.

We are further told the tech has been a huge help in the Oak Brook Police Department’s partnerships with departments in Hinsdale, Villa Park, and Chicago.

“Other departments are calling us over the radio when they have situations that they think this technology could be useful,” Strockis said.

The maker of the GPS dart system, StarChase, is currently working with police and sheriff’s departments in 32 states and internationally. It is made possible in Oak Brook through the police budget approved by the village board as an added tool to their tool kit.

Strockis said the system is not cheap, but it is worth it.

“It’s a lot cheaper than a possible lawsuit f