GPS systems targeted
By Ian B. Murphy/Lexington Minuteman
Local criminals have found their way to a new source of easy cash. In the last month, seven GPS systems have been stolen from cars in Lexington, and the problem has been area-wide.
Just locking your car doors doesn’t seem to be enough, as in each of those incidents the car windows were smashed in to gain access to the small electronic device.
“The GPS is the new hot item for theft,” said Lt. Joe O’Leary of the Lexington Police Department. “We would encourage people not to leave them stuck to the windshield. Take them down from the windshield or dashboard, and put it out of sight.”
O’Leary pointed out that most GPS thefts occur while the car is parked in a commercial parking lot, and rarely while a car is parked at a residence. In every case except one, the theft occurred on a weekday.
A GPS, or Global Positioning System, is a small computer that pinpoints its own location by sending signals to satellites orbiting the earth. They then can give drivers step-by-step directions, either through graphic displays or by audible instructions.
They were a very popular gift this last holiday season, and their $200 to $600 price tag, according to Amazon.com, has made them very popular with local thieves. In the month of December, 11 GPS computers were stolen in Woburn, many of them in wide-open lots like at the mall.
“The parking lots in the malls are ripe for picking,” said Detective Ralph Coakley, of the Woburn Police. “A person might look at 100 cars before they see something available.”
Arlington has also fallen prey to GPS theft, but not at the level of Lexington or Woburn. Most thefts are of the after-market type of GPS, which are secured to dashboards or windshields by suction cups. Arlington Police Chief Fred Ryan, however, can recall a factory-installed GPS mounted in the dash ripped out, so those are not exempt from being targeted, either.
One note: Five of the GPS thefts in Lexington have occurred within a half of a mile from either Route 2 or Interstate 95. The other two occurred in the same neighborhood, near Captain Parker Arms.
Local criminals have found their way to a new source of easy cash. In the last month, seven GPS systems have been stolen from cars in Lexington, and the problem has been area-wide.
Just locking your car doors doesn’t seem to be enough, as in each of those incidents the car windows were smashed in to gain access to the small electronic device.
“The GPS is the new hot item for theft,” said Lt. Joe O’Leary of the Lexington Police Department. “We would encourage people not to leave them stuck to the windshield. Take them down from the windshield or dashboard, and put it out of sight.”
O’Leary pointed out that most GPS thefts occur while the car is parked in a commercial parking lot, and rarely while a car is parked at a residence. In every case except one, the theft occurred on a weekday.
A GPS, or Global Positioning System, is a small computer that pinpoints its own location by sending signals to satellites orbiting the earth. They then can give drivers step-by-step directions, either through graphic displays or by audible instructions.
They were a very popular gift this last holiday season, and their $200 to $600 price tag, according to Amazon.com, has made them very popular with local thieves. In the month of December, 11 GPS computers were stolen in Woburn, many of them in wide-open lots like at the mall.
“The parking lots in the malls are ripe for picking,” said Detective Ralph Coakley, of the Woburn Police. “A person might look at 100 cars before they see something available.”
Arlington has also fallen prey to GPS theft, but not at the level of Lexington or Woburn. Most thefts are of the after-market type of GPS, which are secured to dashboards or windshields by suction cups. Arlington Police Chief Fred Ryan, however, can recall a factory-installed GPS mounted in the dash ripped out, so those are not exempt from being targeted, either.
One note: Five of the GPS thefts in Lexington have occurred within a half of a mile from either Route 2 or Interstate 95. The other two occurred in the same neighborhood, near Captain Parker Arms.
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