Tracker recovers stolen car in 60 minutes

(04/06/2009)

A 80 year old North Yorkshire farmer parked his car while he was on a Sunday morning walk in a remote country lane, near his North Yorkshire farm. He left the keys in the centre console of the vehicle as he did not want to drop them while walking. A short time later, the farmer saw his BMW being driven off with another vehicle following behind.

It only takes a second for thieves to seize an opportunity to steal a car. Luckily his BMW X5 was fitted with a device from Tracker. Although the car was gone in 60 seconds, Tracker had it back in 60 minutes.

“Worryingly, around 74% of all vehicles Tracker recovered in 2008 were stolen using driver’s keys,” explains Stuart Chapman, Tracker’s Police Relationships Manager and a former senior Police Officer. “This story illustrates how dangerous it is to leave keys in the car, even in an isolated place where you think no one is around.”

Tracker activated the device at 11:11 am and the signal was picked up almost immediately via one of its antennas at a police station in the Durham area. The information was passed on to Durham Police, who alerted their patrols and just after midday the vehicle was stopped and an arrest was made.

“I’m so glad I had a Tracker fitted, as the car was back before I could blink. I certainly learnt a lesson to not leave my keys in the car,” says the car owner.

A Durham Constabulary spokesman comments, “We are delighted we could recover this vehicle so quickly. Tracker is vital to helping the police locate stolen vehicles quickly and effectively. We are now assisting our colleagues in North Yorkshire to investigate this matter.”

Tracker stolen vehicle recovery systems work like an electronic homing device. A covert transmitter is hidden in one of several dozen places around the vehicle. There is no visible aerial, so the thief won’t even know it’s there. Unlike other tracking systems, the device works even if the vehicle is hidden in a garage or taken abroad, offering car owners the ultimate in peace of mind should the worst happen.

Tracker is operated by all 52 police forces in the UK.

Related topics:  Crime and Fraud Prevention   Detection systems   Tagging vandalism and theft prevention 

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