What car thieves really want is a free set of wheels, but apparently they will settle for expensive GPS units. Just ask my neighbor. He was parked on a busy street, in a well-lit area and ran into a store to pick up a box of battery packs. When he returned less than 15 minutes later he found his car had been hacked into and his $750 GPS unit was gone.
Yes, you could wag your finger and make the comment that he shouldn’t have left the unit exposed in his vehicle. But he figured he was in a well-traveled area and was only going to be gone for a few minutes. (Woulda, coulda, shoulda… lesson learned.)
According to local police, GPS units are one of the most popular items car thieves are stealing these days. And the numbers prove it. Police say since January 100 GPS units have been stolen from vehicles around our city—-some in broad daylight. In my neighbor’s case, the car repairman observed that the person who stole the unit was likely an amateur because there were hatch marks all over the car’s window.
Police have advice to help you from becoming a victim of theft. First, don’t leave your GPS in plain sight. A member from our police bike patrol told my neighbor that he sees dozens upon dozens of GPS systems sitting on vehicle dashboards and stuck to windshields on a daily basis. I suppose it’s almost too tempting for thieves to walk by. Officers also advise not to leave your GPS power cord in sight. Thieves have been known to break into a vehicle to check for GPS units under the seats or in the trunk simply because they eyed the power cord through a window.
By the way, my neighbor’s insurance company is helping him replace his stolen GPS unit.
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