Safe in Plain Sight

Police in Arizona were able to use a GPS tracking technology fitted camera to track and arrest a suspected burglar in January after a house was broken into and robbed. The house was broken into despite several burglar alarm signs on the premises and the burglar made off with about $10,000 worth of electronics and jewelry. Fortunately for the homeowner, he had the forethought to plant several GPS tracking devices among his personal belongings that allowed the police to find the suspect with very little problem within about 24 hours. For all that was missing, only some jewelry was not recovered, which had probably been pawned off earlier. This story continues the impressiveness of GPS tracking devices to make sure your belongings are safe even in plain sight.

Who Needs a Safe?

The victim in the above case was Allen Crosby, who had purchased several GPS trackers to put on his electronics just in case such an occurrence happened. Once the items were stolen, it was as simple as using a cell phone app to track the burglar. Using the app, the police were able to figure out where the suspected burglar, James Yunis, lived, and then followed a series of beeps emanating from the GPS tracker to locate the exact location of the equipment near the camera that had the device embedded in it. The use of the GPS tracking in this case highlights the effectiveness of this kind of device as a means to deter crime and also find criminals.

Deterring Crime

While the technology for using GPS tracking devices in valuables is designed to be small and not noticeable, it has a huge potential for deterring crime. While it would not be smart to advertise that your valuables have GPS tracking devices, as the technology becomes more available, burglars will be stupid to assume that anything they steal of value is without some kind of device to find out their whereabouts. Could a criminal simply remove the device? In some cases this will happen, but most of the time, they will probably not notice the device. It will, however, make the burglar think twice about what he is going for.

Finding Criminals and Belongings

This is the real benefit to using the GPS tracking devices in your valuables. One part of this is finding the thief and hopefully preventing him from stealing from others. A bigger issue for most people is the potential to get their belongings back, which might range from very valuable to very sentimental to very important and irreplaceable for you. No more will you have to hope that your lost belongings can be found at a random pawn shop down the road. You will be able to pinpoint where your stuff is and get it back as soon as possible instead of hoping to get it back someday. Once your belongings are restored, it will be easier to get on with life as it was before.

Safe Even in the Open

While it is a good idea to keep your valuables under lock and key, using a GPS tracking device might allow you to display your prized possessions more without fear of losing them. We lock up things to keep them safe, but in a sense, once they are safe, they cannot be used or viewed and end up wasting away in storage. If you can keep your belongings out where they can be seen and enjoyed, equipped with a GPS tracking device, it will actually help you feel free and safer.

Ways to Stash Your GPS Tracker or Micro GPS Unit

Using your smartphone device, there are several products out that allow you to track items using a GPS tracking device or micro GPS unit. Some ways to use them to protect property and people:

Embedded into a camera – used in this burglary to help recover the lost items.

Stashed in your child’s backpack or purse – to keep tabs on your children as they play or go out.

• Embedded into a briefcase or suitcase – what might look like a convenient way to carry away your valuables to a burglar might be the trick that helps track them down.


• On a pet’s collar – yes, there are products out there small enough to be located on the collars of man’s best friends and their feline compatriots.


• Put one in your car to keep tabs on your teenage driver – kind of like a LoJack device, but this will not only help if your car is stolen, but also to make sure your teenage drivers are going where they are supposed to be going.


• In addition to stand alone devices, there are also many items, like cell phones or tablet computers that allow you to track them through various apps that are available.

The applications are nearly endless for using GPS trackers. Not just for personal security for your property, but also to give you peace of mind about the ones you love the most. This kind of device can save more than your money.

Safe in Plain Sight