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By Greg Bartlett

In 2004, approximately 2.1 million burglaries occurred in the United States, equaling about 730 burglaries per 100,000 people. Some of my friends were among those burglarized. While they were gone on vacation their house was broken into three times and most of their major appliances stolen. Unfortunately, if you are the victim of a burglary once, you are more likely to be burglarized again. Many people in high-crime areas, neighborhoods which are experiencing a series of burglaries, and those who have been victimized before are concerned about protecting themselves and their belongings against burglars. But how?

Locks on doors and windows, security systems, basic environmental protection such as yard lights and trimmed bushes, and a dog are some of the safety options people consider. Some people also decide to use GPS tracking devices to protect their homes, especially appliances and expensive items. That way, whenever they have to leave for vacation, personal, or business purposes, they can be notified instantly if any of their possessions are moved and can alert police.

Many GPS systems are set up so that owners can be notified immediately if an object is moved. For instance, if you put GPS tracking devices on your dryer and washing machine and one of them – or both – is moved, you would receive an email or text message letting you know that the appliance has been tampered with. Then you can call authorities, who can check to see if everything is okay at your house.

One man in California, who had been the victim of a prior burglary and wanted to protect his possessions, was out of town when the GPS tracking devices he had installed on objects in his home sent him an email letting him know that his furniture had been moved. When he notified police, they were able to track the burglar and arrest him, stopping a series of furniture and appliance burglaries in the area. The homeowner was not only able to recover his furniture and to stop the burglar from taking anyone else’s possessions, but was also able to help recover other people’s furniture and appliances which had been stolen.

Sometimes you will have to leave your home, and you don’t want to return to find that all your furniture and appliances have disappeared. Protect yourself and your investments by installing GPS tracking devices. Who knows? You may even be able to help catch a burglar.