I've wondered about that too. I am genuinely curious if there are laws that concern removal of federal/state/local "equipment" from your car, or if "they" would simply charge you with theft (of official property) or "tampering with ..." or somesuch thing if you were to find one, and reattach it to someone else's car, or throw it out or something.

Especially so if you had not previously given any authorization to PUT such a device on your car. I assume most rental agreements have some clause in them if the rental agency has a tracker on their fleet, or if you're under some sort of house arrest and that's part of the deal.

But covert surveillance? Can you be charged with screwing up the authorities in that way?