GPS Tracking Technology Used To Find Stolen Electronics
Police Find Stolen Electronics Using GPS Tracking Technology
Officials in Palm Beach, Florida are using GPS tracking technology to catch thieves. As an increasing number of people are buying personal electronics that automatically include GPS tracking technology, such as iPhones, smartphones and iPads, law enforcement has seen a jump in solved crimes. As long as the owners have activated their GPS software with device tracking, when the device gets stolen they can call the police to help them get their electronics back.
This GPS tracking technology is built into the devices. All the owners have to do is make sure the tracking services are turned on. Phones and other personal electronics can cost as much as $500+. The fact that this small valuable device is being carried around by the victims is enticing to thieves. That is a major reason that there has been a rise in tablet and smartphone thefts.
One of the problems law enforcement has is getting people to turn on the tracking services prior to the device being stolen. There is not much that can be done if the owner never turned the tracking services on. Officers have been working to educate people about these valuable free services that can be used to find your things after it was stolen. There are device applications, such as “Find My iPhone” and other free tracking applications that can be downloaded on practically all tablets and smartphones.
The other problem the Palm Beach police face is staying one-step ahead of the thieves. Thieves know that more consumers are turning the tracking services on when they purchase the electronic device. That is why they are taking steps to make sure the GPS tracking cannot be enabled by taking out the battery as soon as they steal the device.
While the department still faces obstacles when trying to find stolen personal electronic devices, they are still locating more electronics than ever before. According to the Sun Sentinel, enabling GPS tracking is the simplest solution for people whose phones and tablets get stolen.