Psst, Buddy, You Want To Steal A Car?
The City County Auto Theft Bureau, a regional cooperative in the Orlando, Fla., area, has become one of the first agencies in the eastern United States to use Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to reduce automobile theft.
The technology is installed in cars donated by the insurance industry to be used as bait for car thieves, and is commonly used in the West.
The equipment–which can monitor the bait car’s movement, shut off the engine, and disable the door locks to trap the occupant inside–costs about $1,000 and is called GlobalGuard. A hidden video camera is also included to tape any activity in the car.
Previously, officers had to sit for hours in one place to monitor bait cars and then pursue the thieves, but the use of GlobalGuard frees officers up for other duties because a monitoring company, such as San Diego-based Satellite Security Systems, can notify the police of the car’s location and disable it when ordered.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Orlando Sentinel (02/19/03) P. B1; Taylor, Gary .