Auto GPS » Criminals

To Catch a Thief – Use a GPS Tracking Device

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:54:29 +0000

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

GPS For Cars – 3 Tips For Using GPS Tracking For Cars

admin — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:20:37 +0000

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

GPS Tracking Devices

admin — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:33:18 +0000

Had it not been for a GPS tracking device in OJ Simpson’s mobile phone, he would not have been found to be tried on his wife’s murder. A GPS tracking device is much like driving around in your car with your mobile phone. It allows a person to locate the current position of a moving vehicle or identify where its been and as well, where it is heading. This is ideal for chasing criminals who has just fled the scene of the crime or finding where a suspicious vehicle will be heading next.

A GPS device calculates its position by measuring distances between itself and other GPS satellites. In return, the signals emitted by the GPS tracking device are transmitted to tracking service provider by cell phone technology. Then this information is made available to you via the internet. Aside from absolute location, other civilian benefits in GPS tracking devices include direction of travel, average speed and time of travel. This information is very valuable to the fleet manager of any business.

Other benefits of GPS tracking devices is the ability to know the location of each vehicle or carrier on a map. This technology can also create a digital view of the vehicles current position in a geographic map which is also an additional feature for vehicles with GPS. This allows you to track vehicles that are operated in remote locations without named roads or operated off road.

More advanced GPS devices can even tell you which turn to take or which roads to take to reach a destination. Life is now easier drivers who simply get in their cars and start their engines without knowing where to go. GPS in vehicles have given eyes to the almost blind driver. The world is much smaller these days as a result of this new technology. For each geographic location we are at, have been or going to, can now be identified with a simple click of a button.

So, if you ever wonder where your car may be, your GPS can track where it is. If for instance your car gets stolen, you can easily find where it is heading or where it currently is. Suppose a vehicle stops in the middle of nowhere because of some car trouble, the driver could easily ask for help, or his location could easily be tracked for emergency assistance, that is for as long as there is a signal and cell phone coverage is available. Real time GPS tracking systems will not work without it. These features will definitely decrease car theft or even robberies with getaway vehicles. This can also give cheating husbands or spouses a second thought on their actions. Moving around in vehicles with GPS can very well ruin a secret affair because of its non-discreet ability to identify ones exact location.

With the advent of such technology, GPS in your mobile phones or GPS in your cars, we are giving away a part of our private lives to know where our vehicles and loved ones are. We are giving up away our privacy and that is a big concern for many people. If you do install a GPS tracking device, then you should expect that somebody else can have access to your tracking information.. But, for as long as knowing where we are can do no harm and you are not doing something illegal, then GPS tracking device information will do us no harm.

By: Jim Kesel

How Does Auto GPS Help Law Enforcement Fight Crime?

admin — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:14:33 +0000

Many individuals are now seeking to gain an understanding to the role of auto GPS in Law Enforcement. As the basic technology of GPS, or “Global Positioning Systems” advances, more and more Law Enforcement agencies are starting to discover the advantages of using it in order to optimize their basic role in protecting the citizens within the United States, and each county and city in which they operate.

This particular technology has proven to be quite beneficial in several instances that are legal in nature. Each day, these agencies are establishing more creative ways to use GPS. Here, you will learn about the role of auto GPS in Law Enforcement.

One of the main roles of GPS when it comes to Law Enforcement is that it holds the ability to track individuals that have been suspected of committing a crime. The most common way that this is accomplished is by attaching a unit to the vehicle in which the suspect drives.

It is then that the agency that is tracking the individual can monitor and even successfully record the movements of that individual. The information obtained by the agency can be used to pass a warrant for the individual’s arrest.

Once in court to face potential conviction, this information may be revealed. Many individuals argue and win when it comes to the fact that this is viewed as a violation of privacy, but many of these cases accept the evidence and the suspect is convicted.

Auto GPS systems have been so effective that small versions have been created that do not fit on the vehicle, but they are placed on the wrists or ankles of criminals that have been convicted of a crime. These criminals may have to wear these while they are confined in a prison, and they may have to wear them once they are released from a holding facility.

This type of mini GPS system is often used on individuals who are on what is called “House Arrest”, and it may be used on individuals who have been deemed to be “Sexual Predators” to ensure that the individual does not get close to schools, parks, and other areas where children frequent.

Many Law Enforcement agencies are able to use auto GPS systems in their patrol vehicles and can enter in information about particular calls and crimes. The agency can then take this information, and compile it into an effective data sheet that allows the employees of the agency to see which areas tend to have a higher rate of crime, and which areas have a low rate of crime.

Furthermore, the “crimes” may be detailed even further to specify what crimes occur in a particular area, and how often. This is often referred to as a “Crime Map”. By putting these maps to work, Law Enforcement agencies can successfully determine their crime zones and increase the amount and types of officers that work in that area.

There are several individuals that have protested against the use of GPS in Law Enforcement. These individuals argue that their fourth amendment rights are violated when it comes to this type of use. There have been many cases in which these individuals have presented their case, and many considerations have been made when it comes to Constitutional Rights.

However, the fact still stands that Law Enforcement agencies have been able to serve and protect a number of citizens by implementing the use of GPS technology. This is why there is a distinct role that auto GPS plays in this type of government agency.

By: Daryl Plaza