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Police Use GPS to Track Vehicle After Theft

June 18th, 2013

It stands to reason that one of the most satisfying things in life must be a job well done. That’s what the police of Carroll County, Kentucky, found out. Thanks to GPS technology, their law enforcement department was able to track down and recover over $35,000 in pilfered goods for the Valley Medical Transportation company in Louisville. A little after 8:00 AM, the company owner notified the Carrollton police after he was able to successfully track one of his stolen vans to Carrollton using GPS (the second van was found by police in Pendleton, Kentucky). Police responded to the dispatch to go to a local gas station where they arrested the thieves and took the stolen items into possession, most of which had been taken from Valley Medical Transportation.

What Do I Do If My GPS Tracked Vehicle Is Stolen?

Before it’s ever taken, having easy access to all your car’s basic information comes in handy: year, make, model, VIN. In the event your vehicle is taken, you will want to contact the police as soon as possible and, once you receive the official police report, your vehicle insurance company. Besides immediate report of the theft, the GPS tracking system installed in your car is your best chance of a quick and successful recovery. You can often track the device from your own mobile phone or computer and can report directly to your GPS technology company that your vehicle was stolen, putting them on alert and following your car’s every current location and velocity. When your vehicle’s real-time location is known, you can report the coordinates to the local police (as in the example above) for highly successful chances of recovery.

How Does a GPS Tracking Device Protect My Vehicle?

Depending on the system company you choose, some tracking devices can be used to manipulate the car from a remote location in the event of theft (for instance, automatic lock-down of doors). Some devices allow you to be notified directly if and when your car alarm was set off or the vehicle has left a predetermined area in the form of email or text alert (some setups allow for automatic contact of the police). With a variety of systems in operation, vehicle owners can usually find the perfect one for them to prevent auto theft.

GPS Tracking of Lawn Equipment

June 15th, 2013

The presence of a GPS device led to the quick resolution of a recent theft of lawn equipment. What could have been an expensive loss for the company was minimized thanks to knowledge of the location of at least some of the missing items.

The Theft

The Yard Sheriff is a lawn care company in Oklahoma. Their advertising slogan indicates that they keep your lawn in order by “busting the bad guys in your yard.” Ironically, one early morning, some real “bad guys” targeted the warehouse where the company stores its lawn equipment. When General Manager Darrin DeShazer arrived for work, he noticed that the lock on the back door had been tampered with and that the garage door was ajar. Further investigation showed that one truck, a 16-foot trailer, a mower, a variety of hand equipment, and several laptops were missing. It appeared that the thieves had removed yard debris from the trailer and then loaded it with the expensive equipment they wanted to steal.

The Chase

Fortunately, the Yard Sheriff had previously installed GPS tracking devices on all of the company’s trucks. DeShazer was able to access his tracking software on his iPad and pinpoint the location of the truck. Armed with this information, police gave chase to the vehicle. When they got close, the thief took the vehicle down a back road, creating a large cloud of dust. Under this cover, he was able to escape, abandoning the truck and the trailer.

The Recovery

Mainly because of the availability of the GPS location data, it took only about two hours for police to find the truck and trailer. Although the laptops are still missing, the majority of the rest of the equipment was recovered safely. The Yard Sheriff company will definitely miss the laptops as they will have to revert to paper scheduling for the time being. However, with their busy season only a week away, the company is glad that the majority of the equipment was recovered. They plan to install a new security system to prevent future such events.

While GPS tracking in company vehicles may not prevent criminal activity, the data collected can certainly help in the resolution of such incidents. One company, at least, is definitely glad they made the decision to invest in this technology.

How to Catch a Thief: There’s an App for That

June 14th, 2013

Citizens in many cities are beginning to take crime stopping into their own hands, quite literally. Victims of theft have started tracking down their assailants by using GPS-enabled devices, such as smart phones, to follow the route the mugger took.

For several years, GPS has been used in car navigation and handheld navigation units for hunters and hikers. But with the popularity of smart phones, GPS has become an ubiquitous part of modern culture. Many new phones come pre-installed with GPS devices that can be activated using the provider’s services. Smart phone online stores also offer downloadable apps to trace the location of the phone and its users.

Apps to Protect

Security measures for smart phones involve methods such as locking down the system, emitting alarms, and even deleting all information upon command.

But beyond these security measures, GPS technology gives the best chance of tracking down the stolen phone. A GPS satellite pinpoints the signal, and the app broadcasts the cell phone’s coordinates. Users of GPS-enabled phones can find their stolen items in several ways:

Apps can text the owner the location of the phone as it travels.
Apps can display the approximate location of the phone by using cell phone network towers and GPS.
Finally, some apps also integrate with traditional auto GPS systems, thereby allowing users to use current car systems to do the tracking.

Many muggers do not realize the power of the products they are stealing. When they steal the device, the signal continues to be emitted by the GPS. Police can use this information to follow the route of the robber in real time and then apprehend him on the spot. This saves time in searching for the crook and chasing him on foot through alleys and intersections.

Problems of GPS Use

Lost phone tracking can present problems for police. To follow the GPS navigation route, the phone may still need to be turned on and connected online. However, wi-fi connections may be weak or transmitted for distances larger than the actual location of the perpetrator and the phone.

Also, although the public has the tools to track perpetrators, that does not mean they should track down a thief by themselves. Police discourage GPS users from pursuing an assailant themselves, since confrontation between victims and attackers can turn violent.

Potential of GPS Use

Law enforcement is beginning to use GPS in other tasks too: tracking stolen money from banks, following pill pushers with hidden GPS in narcotics bottles, and tracking kidnappers through childrens’ ID tags. GPS paves the way to reclaiming stolen property. Citizens can help fight crime with just their fingers and a smartphone GPS. Police can trace criminals with the same technology on a larger and a more precise scale. GPS is making the streets safer for everyone.

Lubbock, TX: Burglars Nabbed Thanks To Tablets’ GPS

June 9th, 2013

Yet again, we feature the story of a criminal who obviously does not understand the technology he has stolen, ultimately leading to his capture. Three Dallas men were captured on numerous charges of burglary in April after the GPS device built into tablets led Lubbock police right to them.

“They stole the tablets at the first business they broke into. The tablets had GPS, and that led us to them,” Sgt. Jonathan Stewart, Lubbock police spokesman, said.

According to Stewart, investigators searching through bank bags and other stolen items they had upon their arrest near a liquor store on US 87 connected them to five separate business burglaries. The tablets with GPS technology were discovered among the stolen goods. Investigation is still underway.

The men (Quinton Quontrail Brown, 27; Kendrick Raynard Johnson, 28; and Kendrick D. Lawton, 28) were taken to the Lubbock County Detention Center and booked. Each of the men were charged with five felony counts of burglary of a building, one count of third-degree felony organized crime, and one count of fleeing on foot, a misdemeanor. Bail has not yet been set.

Their string of crime began at 7:04am on April 7, with the report of an alarm triggered at a business in the 5800 block of 50th Street. The men were eventually captured following a foot chase. The chase ensued after they had broken into Pinkie’s liquor store on the southeast side of the city.

Each of the men have prior convictions on their record. Brown was charged with burglary of a building a total of eight times between 2005 and 2011, and has pleaded guilty to charges of theft of a firearm, as well as possession of a firearm by a felon. Johnson has plea agreements for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle as well as theft, and Lawton’s record features evading arrest and interfering with a public servant.

Although one would like to think these criminals would learn a lesson from all this, it’s doubtful. At the very least, they might have learned to leave tablets, or any device featuring built-in GPS device, alone.

Police Use GPS to Track Vehicle After Theft

May 28th, 2013

What Do I Do If My GPS Tracked Vehicle Is Stolen?

How Does a GPS Tracking Device Protect My Vehicle?

GPS Tracking Locates Rite-Aid Pharmacy Robber

May 11th, 2013

Robbing a store isn’t as easy as it used to be, thanks to GPS tracking. These days, robbers have to worry about more than just covering their faces and avoiding cameras. They also have to worry about the possibility of being tracked once they leave the store.

On April 11, a man attempted to rob a Detroit Rite-Aid pharmacy by brandishing a gun and demanding cash. The store manager put nearly $5,000 dollars into the robber’s pillowcase. But he also managed to slip in a GPS tracking device, a little something extra that the thief hadn’t bargained for. Once the thief and his accomplice drove away, the device was activated and police were able to stop and search the vehicle just a few miles away.

GPS technology has proved helpful to law enforcement in a variety of different circumstances from hold-ups and bank robberies to tracking paroled sex offenders. In addition to showing location, many devices can alert officers if the wearer crosses a specified boundary, making them useful for monitoring off-limits areas like schools and playgrounds.

In the case of the Detroit robbery, a quick-thinking store manager was able to make the police officers’ job much easier by including a device that led them right to the suspects. And that’s not the first time police have tracked down robbers using a GPS device. In August of last year, Chicago police apprehended a bank robbery suspect using a tracking device that had been included with his stolen bag of cash.

There has been some question as to whether tracking devices should be used in certain cases (such as placing a device on a suspect’s car without a warrant in order to monitor his movements), but for the most part the relationship between the location-monitoring devices and law enforcement has been a positive one. And although the Supreme Court’s ruling last year stated that monitoring a vehicle’s movements with a tracking device constituted a search, it did not specify whether, in every case, that search would require a warrant.

Warrantless tracking is undoubtedly the last thing on the mind of the Rite-Aid pharmacy thief, however. He admitted to committing the robbery and is now facing charges of interfering with interstate commerce, which is a federal crime. It’s just one more victory for GPS tracking.

Bike Spike Provides GPS Tracking Security For Cyclists

April 30th, 2013

Bike riding is popular all over the world. It provides great exercise, fresh air and low-cost, environmentally-friendly transportation. In fact, my husband and I just bought ourselves a pair of beach cruisers with our tax return. We love to ride our bikes along the beach and around town. The only reason I don’t take my bike out more often is because I’m afraid it will be stolen. We have bike locks and take precautions, but I’ve known many cautious people who’ve become the victims of bike theft. Some savvy entrepreneurs teamed up and came up with a GPS tracking device for bicycles designed to provide a little extra peace of mind for bike owners like my husband and me.

The device is called Bike Spike and was funded by KickStarter, an online forum for funding independent projects. Anything from music, design, art, games, films and technology can be funded through KickStarter. The only catch is that in order to get any funding, the project must meet it’s goal within the set timeline. According to the site, about 44% of the projects at KickStarter meet their goals. Bike Spike managed to meet their $150,000 goal and are working on making the product available at around $150.

Bike Spike has developed a GPS tracking device, which doubles as (and is disguised under) a cup holder that attaches to the bars under the seat. The tracking device connects to your smartphone and records all kinds of useful information. Bike riders can record and publish their mileage, speed, route and more. This information can be used to compare with fellow cyclists or simply for one’s own fitness records. Competitive cyclists can use the distance and speed information to better their performance.

The other primary use for Bike Spike is the extra security provided by a tracking device. If you finish lunch, shopping, or a movie and return to the bike rack to find your bike missing, the Bike Spike tracker could help recover your bike. Simply access the Bike Spike smartphone app to locate the GPS device. With any luck, the thief didn’t think to remove the unit. Using security bolts to attach the tracking device will make it more difficult to remove the device should a thief try to remove it.

GPS Nabs Bank Robbers In Columbus

April 26th, 2013

GPS technology has benefited many victims of theft. As these devices get smaller and more affordable, more people are finding ways to attach them to valuables. Vehicles, computers, smartphones and much more have been stolen and recovered thanks to GPS tracking devices. Savvy consumers have been attaching undetectable tracking devices to their valuables which are vulnerable to theft. Now, we’re hearing of businesses using this technology for protection from robberies.

A bank robbery is a tasty temptation for thieves. Despite the high risks involved, like causing a federal investigation, the large cash reward seems worth it to a portion of the criminal element. Banks are getting wiser and turing to GPS technology to help recover cash stolen by these bold criminals. Recently, a bank robber was busted in Columbus, Ohio after making off with a bag full of cash. The alleged thief was not aware that the bag of cash also contained a small GPS tracking device, which led police to his hideout a few blocks away.

GPS devices are an improvement on bank security. Prior to this technology, banks would often slip an exploding dye pack into the bag of cash the robber was stealing. These dye packs were also very discrete and couldn’t be detected right away. A short while after the robbery, the dye pack would explode, staining the cash and ideally the thief in the process. Although this method was fairly effective, the exploding dye packs are more dangerous than tracking devices, primarily because the exploding packs would sometimes cause injury to the criminal and/or innocent bystanders.

So far this year, Columbus has seen 11 bank robberies according to the police robbery squad. The city averages about 40 bank robberies every year. Hopefully, GPS technology can help the police solve more of these cases. In a 2007 U.S. Department of Justice report, it was estimated that about 60 percent of bank robberies are solved, usually when a repeat offender makes a critical mistake.

CA: Woman Nabs Mobile Phone Thief Thanks To GPS Apparently

April 21st, 2013

It seems a Sacremento woman learned just how powerful the GPS tracking apps that track down your missing cell phone can be. However, she learned another valuable lesson as well after thieves made off with her cell phone at an Elk Grove bowling alley: call the police.

She and her friends were finishing up a bowling game at Pins N Strikes bowling alley, when Leora (no last name provided) noticed her phone was missing. One of her friends pulled out her cell phone and showed Leora a GPS tracking app that would track down her phone.

“We downloaded the app on one of my friend’s phones and I never used it before. I didn’t even know how it really worked,” she said.

The GPS tracking device directed the group of friends directly to an Elk Grove address, where the thief answered the door with another woman, holding a gun.

“I was surprised he came to the door with a gun,” said Emmanuel, one of the friends in her group.

The man had actually been flirting with her at the bowling alley, prior to stealing her phone. “I was just dumbfounded. I couldn’t believe that this was the same person. Now he has this gun.”

He yelled at the group in an effort to get them off of his property, and Leora called police. She admitted she should have done that in the first place, rather than trying to play Nancy Drew. “I think it’s important to definitely let the police do their job,” she said. “That (GPS) technology is super helpful, it is, but at the same time it’s important not to just go somewhere. It could have ended so much worse for us.”

Police did arrest both people inside the home, who are now out on bail and face charges including making threats with a deadly weapon.

Leora, a psychology student, offered her own assessment of the thief: “I think he’s a sociopath. That’s what I kept saying. That’s what I kept saying the whole night. I think he’s a sociopath.”

FL: Truckload of Stolen Beef Saved by GPS

April 20th, 2013

Yes, you read that right. Thieves made off with a giant refrigerated truck full of thousands upon thousands of dollars’ worth of beef. Luckily, a GPS tracking device aided investigators in tracking it down.

The thieves somehow ditched the truck, and stashed the meat away in an unrefrigerated warehouse with intentions to sell it at a later date, according to investigators.

Brad Bateman, a meat broker with North South Foods, told reporters with Channel 9 beef is a lucrative item for thieves. “It’s something we see quite often,” he said.

The truck was stolen from a parking lot in Osceola County, and contained roughly $250,000 worth of meat stored inside. It was found in Seminole County, only without it’s expensive load.

Sanford Supermarket’s Willy Peralta told Channel 9 that some of his delivery drivers had also been robbed. “Some of them have been stuck up for their truck and some of them, people just get in their trucks and drive off,” he said.

The use of GPS tracking devices is not uncommon in the meat industry to track the expensive cargo. Says Bateman, “Somewhere in the palettes or in the product, because most of the time the trucks are found but the meat is missing.”

GPS device is exactly the reason investigators were able to locate the stolen cargo in a warehouse in Orlando. Four people were discovered operating a forklift in order to unload the meat from a U-Haul. They were preparing it to be sold on the black market. “Selling it to small discount stores,” Peralta said. “Going into a neighborhood and unloading it for cash.”

This kind of meat can give anyone who ingests it many different bacterial diseases, usually because they aren’t refrigerated. “You don’t know what grade it is,” said Peralta. “You won’t even know what that meat was going to be processed for.”