Rocky Mountain Tracking

By Greg Bartlett

Have you ever wondered how police stop a series of auto thefts? Say your neighborhood has been experiencing an increase of automobile thefts recently. How can the police be certain that they find and stop the thieves – and that their bait car won’t just be another vehicle stolen, but that it will actually help them locate the stolen cars?

The answer is with GPS tracking. Police use cars equipped with GPS tracking to trap car thieves. The GPS systems will notify police about the car’s location, speed, and many can also shut off the car if and when it is stolen.

For instance, in Fairfax County, Virginia, about 1,300 cars were stolen last year. But when police started using bait cars to trap auto thieves by placing them in strategic areas, usually areas that had high rates of auto theft, they were able to arrest a number of suspects and have already seen a drop in auto theft rates.

The Fairfax County GPS tracking system allows police to be notified if the bait car’s door is opened and if the car’s ignition is started. It can even tell them how many people are inside the car, and police can use it to remotely shut off the engine when the vehicle is stolen. When that happens, the doors automatically lock and won’t open, allowing police to head out and make an arrest without involving a chase – they know exactly where the vehicle is and they know it won’t be moving anywhere.

Most GPS systems that police use in bait cars provide similar options to the one in Fairfax County. Police often combine this with hidden cameras, giving them extra evidence to use when they use the system to locate the car with the suspects trapped inside.

Using bait cars with GPS monitoring allows police to locate auto thieves more safely than actively pursing them. Chasing a suspect can often result in a high-speed pursuit, which endangers pedestrians, other drivers, the police officers, and the suspect. If the police can already locate the car without chasing it, and can even in some cases shut it off and lock the doors, the need for dangerous chases is reduced.

Police use GPS tracking in bait cars to follow auto thieves and capture them, helping to reduce vehicular theft. Bait cars can make society safer by helping capture thieves and reducing high-speed chases.

By Greg Bartlett

My wife and I used to discuss the cost of our GPS tracking subscription that came with our used van. Things have been tight for a few years now, and to be honest we really couldn’t afford it. I put my foot down, as the van was for my wife, and said that we’d find a way to pay for the extra expense. That was the greatest decision I have ever made.

The first six months that we owned the van, I never even touched the glowing blue button in the dashboard. During those six months, my wife would wonder if we we’re throwing money away with the GPS tracking expense. I would try to correct her, that it was all about the safety. In truth, part of me hoped that I was wasting money, but I didn’t tell her that.

During the holidays, I decided to take our fifteen month old son to visit relatives in the van. The weather report called for a clear, dry day and I thought it would be ideal to show off my little man. I don’t much like driving on highways, so, because of this, I chose to take the back roads. About half way into the trip, storm clouds started to quickly roll in; all of a sudden I was in the middle of a winter thunderstorm; I have only seen one like this one other time in my life.

Hail stones the size of quarters began to slap into the car and before I could pull over a deer was startled into the road. I slammed on the brakes and did my best to steer away from a crash. The van ended up rolling into the ditch.

I got banged up fairly badly and lost my cell phone at some point in the accident. I reached up from my seat and pressed the glowing button on the GPS tracking device. The voice I heard was like an angel. They asked if I needed assistance and I explained what had happened. I was told to stay with the vehicle and that help was on its way.

I gathered my son and some blankets and stood outside the overturned van to wait for help. The ambulance came very quickly and whisked us away to warmth and safety. My wife was informed and arrived at the hospital later that night. Since that day, my wife has not said a word about the GPS tracking subscription fee and we’ve decided to install one on our car.

By Greg Bartlett

I go deer hunting every year. I know that for some in my circle that isn’t very PC but it is my one concession to our hunter gatherer roots. To help me while I’m in the bush, my wife gave me a GPS tracker for my birthday - so that I could map out good deer runs and likely spots for blinds. When I got it I thought it was kind of neat, but neither of us could have known just how amazing a gift it would be. I am alive today to write this because I had that device with me during this past season.

The story is very embarrassing, so pardon me for skipping the details of how I came to be hurt. Suffice to say, that I found myself a two and a half hour hike from my truck with a badly broken leg and cracked skull. As I said, no one in my circle hunts so I was alone. When I regained consciousness, I called the local police station and explained my situation. I had no real idea of where I was, but I got the message out that I was in need of help.

The operator dispatched officers and walked me through first aid to stem the blood loss. During this conversation, I had to root through my pack to find a belt to cut circulation to the leg and I found my GPS tracker. I told the dispatcher that I had this with me and asked if that would help. Once he got some information from me (service provider, username, and password) he was able to pull up my location on his computer.

It is a good thing that he knew what he was about. I was so groggy and nearly incoherent that without his calm patience, I doubt I would’ve been able to get the GPS tracker turned on. I had also apparently sent the police to hunt through the woods five miles south of my location. The officers were rerouted to me and where able to find me very quickly. I am not sure exactly how long it took, but my phone battery hadn’t died so it couldn’t have been too long. They rushed me to a hospital and I was fixed up.

I don’t want to think about what would’ve happened if I hadn’t had the GPS tracker in my pack. Or what would’ve happened if the dispatcher hadn’t been as qualified as the one I dealt with.

by James Neely - freelance writer for hire

Businesses are looking for an edge to help keep profitability high. They are turning to more technology-driven options that offer more control and better manageability. These are chief reasons to consider adding a GPS Tracking system to your business operations. Here are seven questions that are answered by having a GPS Tracking system.

GPS Tracking defined. What is GPS Tracking? GPS stands for Global Positioning Systems and is a part of technology provided by satellites as they orbit the earth. These satellites and the systems contained in them are able to link to devices on the ground that are in tune to certain frequencies on which both are locked. These frequencies allow communicating bi-directionally with gives all kinds of benefits to the end user.

Other GPS systems. The term GPS is used for navigation systems as well as tracking systems. There is a difference between the two that needs to be understood. Navigation systems have become popular with product manufacturers in the form of small devices that attach to vehicles or other transportation methods for the distinct purpose of displaying driving directions and other valuable data such as destination, and estimated times of arrival based on speed.

GPS Tracking systems, on the other hand, are focused mainly on providing data on location, direction of travel and speed. These devices are targeted at businesses that need to maintain close and constant contact on fleet vehicles and other assets.

Business advantages. How does a business benefit from GPS Tracking systems? Being able to manage assets in real-time allows businesses to be more responsive to customers’ needs. The ability to change direction and modify schedules in an instant helps cement customer loyalty and satisfaction.

Types of systems. What types of GPS Tracking systems are available? You can use GPS Tracking systems with models that are passive and offer only reporting on history after the fact. These are attached to a moving asset and then are retrieved for later viewing of history. The other end of the spectrum is the real-time devices that allow an employee to monitor activity as it happens.

Cost vs. benefits. How much do these systems cost? A small investment of several hundred dollars per asset is considered low and indeed a worthwhile expenditure.

Other costs. Are there any other costs which I should be made aware of? There are monthly subscription charges for being able to monitor in real-time via software that runs on a standard PC. These costs are low and can be afforded by even the smallest of businesses.

Additional units. Will I need to install more than one of these to get the full benefits? Outfitting your complete fleet of assets will be of most benefit to you as you will have complete control over everything you own.

Now that you know, it is time for you to act. Get these systems today and watch your business profitability take off and soar.

by James Neely - freelance writer for hire

Payroll and benefits are two of the biggest business expenses by far. Payroll costs include a 30 to 40 percent premium from the benefits. If you factor that in with having to provide for vacation days, sick days and other non-productive events, the cost becomes out of reach for many smaller business.

And while avoiding adding employees means that your profitability remains high, the other side is that if you are growing, how do you maintain control and high levels of customer service?

Enter GPS Tracking systems. If your business is heavily involved in managing and maintaining assets, then GPS Tracking devices added to your operations can help you.

Asset tracking. Attaching a GPS Tracking device to major assets allows you to track movements in real-time or by periodic scheduling. Just knowing where things are located and to be able to pull them in with one call is invaluable.

Asset locating. If an item becomes stolen, then the location can be forwarded to the authorities for almost instant recovery. This beats having the item being out of your use which affects efficiency and the ability to get jobs done in a timely manner. It stalls your operations indefinitely. Also, having to deal with an insurance claim takes valuable business time.

Lower insurance costs. Insurance premiums go down with the use and implementation of GPS Tracking systems in your organization. The lower risk factor is worth a lot of money and soon you could see mandatory implementation by insurance companies of certain business assets.

Asset management. A centralized PC can be used anywhere to keep track of your assets. One person can easily manage many assets at a time with little effort. Real-time tracking can be viewed during the day with instant adjustments made to schedules on the fly. All of this is very valuable to businesses that have time-sensitive deadlines to keep.

Geofencing. This feature gives you alerts whenever a device is moved outside of the parameters set for that asset. This is valuable for tracking of not only business hours usage, but off-hours as well.

All of this adds up to having GPS Tracking systems doing the work of generating reports and information for better, easier management by fewer individuals. That keeps your payroll costs low and your profitability high. Doing business with your company becomes easier as well. These benefits and more can be yours with the integration of a GPS Tracking system.