The Global Positioning System is more and more becoming a great tool for apprehending thieves. Here are a few recent examples:
In December 2012, a man was arrested near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after stealing over $13,000 worth of aluminum from a construction site. The construction company owner had previously had aluminum stolen from the site so, unbeknownst to potential criminals, he installed a GPS tracking device in a pile of aluminum scrap. When it too was stolen, the company worked with local police to track the materials to a nearby scrap yard—where the perpetrator was caught in the act of selling the stolen metal and subsequently charged with a felony.- In August 2013, a group of thieves in Indonesia were arrested with the help of GPS technology. Two suspects hired a car and driver and told the driver they needed to be driven to Jakarta. Before the car reached its destination, the vehicle was waylaid by another car with three additional suspects in it. The five stole the hired car, but police were able to track it using its GPS. Three men were arrested for the robbery; two others resisted arrest and ran, but were stopped by police.
- A James Island resident recently stole a bicycle in Charleston, South Carolina. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t realize that the bike was a “bait bike” that belonged to the Charleston Police Department and was equipped with a GPS device. Police shortly thereafter arrested him and charged him with property crime enhancement. According to police, the suspect was apprehended while riding the wrong way in traffic. He stated that he found the bike unlocked and took it. The suspect had a previous record of burglary and shoplifting.
- Metals such as lead and copper are increasingly popular with thieves, since they can be melted down easily and sold for cash. As a result, in some areas the theft of car, boat, and RV batteries has risen, since the batteries include such metals. In September 2013, the Michigan State Police worked with the U.S. Battery Manufacturing of Corona, California to insert GPS devices into several batteries at an RV dealership where battery thefts had become a major problem. After a short while, more than ten batteries were stolen, a number of which were equipped with GPS. Police simply followed the thieves, detained them a short way from the dealership, and questioned them. The suspects admitted to all the battery thefts.
GPS Is a Great Tool for Apprehending Thieves
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