Sheriffs Want Popular Police-Tracking App Disabled

Sheriffs are campaigning to pressure Google to turn off a feature on its Waze traffic software that warns drivers when police are nearby. They say the apps could put officers' lives in danger from would-be police killers who can find where their targets are parked.

Waze is a combination of GPS navigation and social networking. Fifty million users in 200 countries turn to the free service for real-time traffic guidance and warnings about nearby congestion, car accidents, speed traps or traffic cameras, construction zones, potholes, stalled vehicles or unsafe weather conditions. There are no known connections between any attack on police and Waze, but law enforcers are concerned it's only a matter of time. They are seeking support among other law enforcement trade groups to pressure Google to disable the police-reporting function.