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By Greg Bartlett

GPS technology is making steps every day as new and more advanced gadgets are released every day. Lately, people have been getting very creative with how and where they use this new GPS technology.

If you were asked to make a list of possible uses for a GPS tracking device, finding a bank robber probably wouldn’t be on the top of your list. In fact, it is something that you probably wouldn’t even think of. However, a GPS tracking device helped solve a bank robbery for a little town in Arkansas on July 3. That Friday morning a man wearing a face mask entered a bank in Benton County and demanded money from the tellers. A GPS tracking device was slipped into a bag of about $2,500 which was handed over to the robber.

After the robber left, the bank reported the robbery, giving a description of the robber and his getaway vehicle: a tan Chevy Impala.
The law enforcement officers started tracking the robber using the GPS tracker that had been slipped into the money bag. The police officers were able to locate the robber’s getaway vehicle in the residential area that the GPS tracking device pointed to. They found the man’s vehicle parked inside a garage. This allowed the police to arrest the man when he came out of the house.

As it turns out, this man had attempted to rob another bank that day as well. Just an hour earlier he had failed to get money when the tellers refused to hand over any cash. Although he had a gun, the tellers were protected behind bulletproof glass and were able to hide behind the counter until the robber gave up and left.
Thanks to the GPS tracking device, or the ‘money tracker’ as the court documents refer to it, the bank recovered their money and the robber will be charged with a count of felony theft of property and two counts of aggravated robbery. This could mean anywhere from 10-40 years in prison on either charge.

This is just one instance that shows one of the great new ways that GPS tracking can be used. As GPS technology becomes more common and more creative uses for it are discovered, robbers and other crooks will realize that they will not be able to get away with their crimes. This will prevent thefts and other crimes, making our world a safer place to live in.