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 ‘Mccord’
To Catch a Thief – Use a GPS Tracking Device
March 30th, 2010Using GPS Tracking Devices to Monitor Employees
February 5th, 2010
GPS vehicle tracking systems can go a long way toward helping business owners manage vehicle use and employee productivity.
Your operations will be much more efficient if you employ GPS technology. Being able to have a route mapped out will allow employees to get work done much faster. It is highly likely that each one of your company vehicles could make at least one more stop, job, or delivery each week. If you have several vehicles, do the math. More deliveries means more satisfied customers and more business. For companies that are growing and have felt a little strain in getting things out to customers, a GPS tracking device can help. Your employees will be able to get more done in less time. You will be able to handle a recent surge in business and feel confident in seeking even more business.
A GPS tracking device also monitors vehicle speed and usage. Certainly you have taken the time to hire trustworthy individuals, but no one is perfect. For example, speeding can raise fuel costs. A well-meaning employee who speeds out of habit probably doesn’t think about what this costs the company. A GPS tracking device tracks speeds so managers can be alerted to speeding. This way, they can talk to the employee and let this person know that they need to stick to the speed limit to keep costs down.
You can set up alerts on the software that accompanies a GPS tracking device to inform managers of infractions that you feel need to be addressed. That could be speeding, idling, or traveling beyond certain boundaries. Some employees cannot handle the temptation to make a side trip here or there in a company car. Managers can be made aware of this and take appropriate action as necessary. Again, the employee is probably not thinking about the costs in fuel or added wear and tear on the company vehicle, but as a business owner, you must think about these things.
By: Nancy McCord
