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By Greg Bartlett

You work downtown and usually park in the same area in the parking garage, but recently you’ve had concerns about the safety of your vehicle. You lock your doors, of course, but in the past few months you’ve heard about a number of cars being stolen from areas like the parking garage. So how can you be sure your car really is secure and won’t be stolen?

One way to be certain you know where your car is located is to use a GPS tracking device. The tracking device will allow you to monitor your vehicle in real time and will even alert you if it is moved. Yes, that’s right – your car will actually call or text you if it’s stolen. You can then monitor its progress while you call the police, who can follow your car, capture the thief, and recover your vehicle. Your GPS tracking device may even have an immobilization option, which would allow you to shut off the vehicle once you know it’s been stolen.

You can also use your GPS tracking device to set up boundaries outside of which your car shouldn’t be taken. If it crosses the geo-fence, you’d be alerted at once. So say you’re planning on having a coworker borrow your vehicle to go get lunch, and you’re not worried when you see the car moving in the early afternoon. You would still be alerted about suspicious activity if the car gets too far away and leaves the boundaries you’ve set. If you’re using your tracking device to monitor other household drivers, such as teenagers, the geo-fence option can be especially helpful.

One company recently had a vehicle stolen and alerted police to its theft. Police were able to use the GPS vehicle tracking device to locate the car, which was hidden inside a semi-trailer truck, and to recover the company’s car along with another stolen vehicle – and they were even able to arrest the thieves. The recovery occurred within about 24 hours, which was especially helpful since the thieves had already put false plates on the cars and apparently intended to sell them quickly.

A GPS tracking device can help you keep track of your vehicle at all times and to keep you aware of what is happening to your car. You don’t have to worry about it disappearing while you’re at work, since your GPS unit will monitor your vehicle and help keep it from being stolen.