Westmoreland County commissioners want to track where county-owned vehicles are going.

It makes sense. The county owns or leases 180 vehicles. Cars, trucks, SUVs, vans — all of them are intended to help county employees or elected officials provide the services residents need.

The government is one of the largest employers in the county. Alongside the state and federal governments, other leaders include Walmart, UPS and Giant Eagle. All three utilize GPS fleet management.

But Westmoreland County Sheriff James Albert doesn’t want to see his people tracked. It’s dangerous, he says.

“It provides an opportunity for an assailant to know the exact location of a deputy prior to an attack; it provides fugitives with information that a warrant is about to be executed,” a lawsuit filed last week states.

His concern is that tracking data for the 30 vehicles his department is assigned could be used to monitor deputies participating in state police drug investigations or those serving protection-from-abuse orders. Those are valid issues. Law enforcement can be dangerous.

In the filing, Albert said the commissioners’ decision usurps his authority as an elected official. This seems like a stretch, as the commissioners are exercising their authority to supervise and secure county property.

It’s hard to get confirmation about other law enforcement agencies that might or might not use GPS data. While police departments and federal agencies are more forthcoming about how they use GPS as a crime-fighting tool, they are more closed-mouthed about internal use — no doubt for the same reasons Albert lays out.

GPS data is a concern for law enforcement, but it can be a benefit. For example, Axon provides GPS tracking ability as part of body camera systems. Axon is the largest provider of body cameras to police and military personnel around the world.

But there is another reason to use GPS for the vehicles, and it is the same reason to use body cameras: accountability.

The Westmoreland Sheriff’s Department has had issues with charges against employees, including Albert’s predecessor. While things seem to be better under Albert’s tenure, that doesn’t mean steps toward accountability are misplaced — especially when they are being employed throughout county government.

Incidents like arrests of Greensburg and Ligonier Valley officers speak to the need for law enforcement to know it is accountable every day.

The 2022 crash of District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli’s county-owned vehicle is another example that all officials need to remember they are answerable to the people. Ziccarelli also is asking for her office to be exempt from tracking.

Keeping the data safe and keeping the people accountable are different issues. Both are important. We must expect accountability because of the potential for abuse.

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