Property crimes are a major issue in the US for both businesses and individuals. The anecdotal evidence is everywhere. It’s hard to turn on the local news without seeing a story involving a larceny. The data about property thefts is clear. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigations, in 2016 the losses estimated from theft were estimated at $15.6 billion. Misdemeanors such as motor vehicle, shipment and asset theft continue happen daily.
There are ways to prevent crime and this is something that GPS tracking companies are doing every single day. While there are many factors that go into this problem, it would be hard to solve overnight, but the more preventive and safety measures that can be taken to reduce these statistics, the better. Continually helping individuals recover lost or stolen equipment/property plays a big role in reducing crime trends.
Over the years, advanced GPS technology has been able to help people keep a better eye on their valuable property by giving them real time location reports on the current location of their tracker. Not only can you track vehicles, you can also track valuable assets, equipment, shipments etc. With the historical route playback feature that most GPS companies offer, this gives the user the ability to present a summary of all the places the tracker has been, enhancing the credibility of the source.
For anyone that has ever had something stolen or lost, it is an incredibly daunting and unsettling feeling. If you place a GPS tracker on your valuable items, this will take the guessing game out of where your property is. If it is stolen you can also help law enforcement to recover your property by telling them where it last reported from. Not only would this allow the user to recover their personal valuables, but it may also shine a light onto other items that have been stolen in the past as well. People should be able to know where their assets are at all times and this is how GPS trackers are preventing crime every day.
Here are the top 3 recommendations for using a GPS tracker to prevent theft:
1- Make sure the tracker is in place before the theft occurs. This may seem obvious but the odds of recovery are exponentially better with a tracker in place.
2- Use geofence alerts. A geofence alert is a notification from your tracking app that the tracker has been moved. An example of this is getting a text message when the tracker leaves a your work or home area.
3- If you you’ve been a victim of theft in the past, you know that it’s rare to recover a stolen asset. In our experience, the police are very willing to recover stolen property, especially if a GPS tracker is included. Don’t try to recover the property yourself. Make sure the police are with you.