In a recent news story, police were able to apprehend a criminal who stole a van because the van was equipped with a GPS tracking device.
A felon spotted a van that was property of a county in New York state and hopped in for a ride. As you probably know some crimes are planned, but many are simply crimes of opportunity. An idling van, an open door…these are the kinds of temptations that criminals find hard to resist.
The employee who had been entrusted with the van was quick to alert his employer and they in turn called the police. Because of the GPS tracking device inside, the police were able to find the van outside of a fast food restaurant. Without the GPS tracking device, who can say how long it would have taken for them to find the vehicle? It surely wasn’t the only county-owned van on the streets. So police would have had to be on the lookout for both the van, not really knowing exactly where it was or who was driving it. A detective in an unmarked car attempted to get the suspect to end his joy ride. The suspect left the vehicle and made a run for it.
Eventually the van thief, someone who had been arrested 17 times in the past, was apprehended.
There is another side to this story though-what about the employees who left the car running and accessible to an opportunistic thief? We didn’t get to read about the end of that person’s story. I’m sure the county was glad that this employee came forward quickly and did not try to hide the theft.
As great as GPS technology is and as much as it can do to help make things more efficient, it doesn’t beat old-fashioned common sense. Most employers would prefer of their employees didn’t leave company vehicles idling, but having a GPS tracking device can add an extra layer of security in the event that something like this does happen.
By: Nancy McCord
Posts Tagged ‘Criminals’
To Catch a Thief – Use a GPS Tracking Device
March 30th, 2010GPS For Cars – 3 Tips For Using GPS Tracking For Cars
November 28th, 2009
If you haven’t tried using a GPS system yet, you should. The GPS will almost certainly change the way you drive. GPS stands for Global Positioning System. The GPS can identify where you are, and it will place you on a map showing you exactly where in the world you happen to be. A GPS is very easy to use, but there are three basic things you need to know:
Tip #1: Program Your Route Before Leaving
Program your route in advance. If you program your route in advance, the global positioning system will be able to guide you, step-by-step to your destination.
Tip #2: Don’t Alter Your Route While Driving
Don’t make modifications to your route while you are driving. It can be dangerous to take your eyes off the road. Your global positioning system is designed to indicate an impending directional change, so there is no need to study the display. If you need to change your route or look at the map more closely, pull off to the side of the road first. Otherwise, you may wind up in an accident.
Tip #3: Don’t Make Things Easier For Criminals
Do not program your home address as “home.” If your car is stolen, a thief would then be able to find your home and know that you are not there. So you could have both, your car stolen and your house burglarized.
Global Positioning Systems make folding maps a thing of the past. Once you’ve tried a GPS system, you won’t want to be without one.
If you want more information about GPS systems for cars…
By: Lane Wright