Police Chief: GPS Showed Officers Not On Patrol

BELOIT, Wis. -- The Beloit police chief said five officers have been disciplined after GPS systems in their squad cars showed they were sitting together for large amounts of time and not on patrol.

Police Chief Sam Lathrop said the department received a tip that officers were congregating for large amounts of time on third shift and weren't on patrol or taking routine calls because they were out of service.

A review of GPS data from their squad cars showed that they had been together in one area, Lathrop said.

He said that on several occasions, up to five officers gathered at one time and sometimes for as long as 45 minutes.