Finding Stolen Merchandise
Business Tips GPS TrackingPublished July 10, 2009 at 11:21 am No CommentsBy Greg Bartlett
It might have taken a few years, but police in Arizona did eventually find the missing front-end loader which was stolen in 2005. They weren’t actually looking for it when they found it. They were tracking down a different piece of stolen equipment from another company.
In late June, a tractor was stolen from a construction site. Since the tractor had GPS monitoring installed, police were able to locate the tractor, recover it and return it to its owner, and arrest the thieves. But their investigation took a happy turn for another company when during the investigation police found the stolen front-end loader. Since the front-end loader is worth about $80,000-$100,000, the rental company was probably thrilled – although surprised – to get its equipment back after so many years.
GPS monitoring companies have been able to recover many stolen items that are being tracked with GPS devices. Construction companies have had expensive equipment returned, company fleets have recovered vehicles, vehicles and boats have been given back to their owners, and possessions such as TVs and furniture have been located and recovered with the help of GPS tracking.
Since GPS monitoring can track any item and discover its precise location, allowing owners or police to monitor and locate an item, GPS is a prime choice for expensive equipment which attracts thieves. The GPS device can be small enough that a thief will not easily discover and remove it, and the owner can help police find the stolen item quickly. Furthermore, GPS devices often can be set up so that they will even notify the owner with an email, text message, or phone call if the tracked item leaves certain boundaries or is driven during certain times of day.
If a construction company’s tractor is driven outside the construction area or is moved during non-working hours, the company can be instantly alerted and send police after the stolen vehicle.
Sometimes, as in the case in Arizona, tracking a vehicle or piece of equipment may even lead to the discovery of more stolen items.
So there is a possibility that a thief will go after similar items which are equipped with GPS and that police will find your equipment as well even without GPS, but installing a GPS device on your equipment is much more reliable.
GPS monitoring is an excellent way to help protect vehicles and expensive equipment and may even help capture thieves and recover more stolen merchandise.
