In February Mr Bratton asked them, publicly, not to keep broadcasting live coverage of car chases, watched by too many people hoping to see crashes and violence. (They get alerts to their pagers when a chase starts.) The police reckon that such coverage encourages show-offs to embark on wild escapades, and gives the impression of a city rife with crime.

ECONOMIST: A delicate task for William Bratton in Los Angeles

The catch is that the authorities would also know if a driver were doing 90mph--the car would be broadcasting that information.

FORBES: Magazine Article