GPS Database Helps Reduce Crime

[MikeB]

Bedfordshire Police has linked up with PocketGPSWorld.com, in creating a national database for stolen and recovered satellite navigation systems, which are being increasingly stolen from cars across the county.

Approximately 60 Bedfordshire motorists have had GPS systems (global positioning satellite) stolen from their vehicles since April, but because the devices are not usually registered or receive a signal, once stolen are hard to recover.

Bedfordshire Police hopes that will change if people register details of their computer hardware with Pocket GPS World, an international database of portable GPS systems that allows people to monitor stolen products and reunite them with their owners if offered for sale at a later date. The database can be found by logging on to www.pocketgpsworld.com

Pc Kevin Brown, from Bedfordshire Police has been following the pattern of thefts of portable GPS systems across the force and has linked up with Pocket GPS World in an effort to discourage these thefts and to assist in the detection of crime.

He said: “This initiative is supported by the industry with the database hosted on the Internet by a member of the trade, although the company has no commercial interest in assisting us. It works by either the police or victim loading the information of the stolen GPS system onto the database, at no cost. The database is then freely searchable by police or prospective purchasers nationally.”

Mike Barrett, director of PocketGPSWorld.com Ltd., says “We are co-operating with the police to help prevent GPS theft and the PocketGPSWorld.com National Database is our latest joint initiative”. He added; “We have the largest community of GPS users in the UK and we feel that we need to help the law enforcement agencies in an effort to bring the police, users and the GPS Industry together to raise awareness and reduce GPS theft. The National Database of stolen GPS equipment will help the police forces identify the rightful owners of any recovered stolen items”.

Bedfordshire Police is urging motorists to remove satellite navigation or Global Positioning Systems, stereos and other valuables from their cars in order to prevent auto crime.

Since portable versions of the satellite navigation kits went on sale for around £200 the number of people buying them for their cars has increased also promoting a rise in the number of thefts.

Pc Brown says the majority of vehicle crime can easily be avoided: “All the thefts could have been prevented if the drivers had taken the portable equipment with them when they parked the car,” he said. “The new satellite navigation kits can be unplugged when you park the car and stereo fronts can also be removed, so there is no excuse for people to leave this type of equipment behind. Such items should also be security marked or tagged and owners should note the make, model and serial number too. Locking things away in the glove box is not an option either, as this is the first place the thieves look.”

Initially the database will be held in an open forum post. As this becomes more popular we will be implementing a fully searchable database. If you have any information regarding a stolen device please contact mike@pocketgpsworld.com and we will put you in touch with the rightful owner.
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Mike Barrett

[uksatnavltd]

Great idea chaps.

We are UK SatNav are fully behind this initiative, and will do our best to build this step into our selling process. Do you see any benefit in retailers registering these units when they are sold, and then updated when the user registers them? That way we can also cope with fraudulent sales and/or parcels "lost" in the post?

Stuart
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http://www.uksatnavltd.com
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Stuart McIntyre
UK SatNav Limited
http://www.uksatnavltd.com
08450 SATNAV

[MikeB]

The problem with capturing information about owners is that the database would quickly become huge and difficult to use. Hopefully over 99% of the data would never be required.

I think it is far better to only add items that have actually been stolen or lost that way we have a 100% database of questionable units rather than a lot of potentially confusing data.
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Mike Barrett

[mikealder]

Mike - A great idea, but I wonder how many people could actually inform the Police of the specific information pertaining to there stolen equipment, once its gone? As a tip to everyone make sure you write down every last detail avail part numbers, serial numbers If its a PDA go to settings, and find the Device information, or HP Asset Viewer (in the case of the HP devices) - note this down, in the case of a mobile phone style PDA go for the IMEI number and record that along with the description - BEFORE it happens - second tip don't ever leave it in the vehicle - Mike

[Oldboy]

With the GO you can store the information of the TomTom site. Under My Products.
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Richard

TT 910 V7.903: Europe Map v1045
TT Via 135 App 12.075: Europe Map v1145

[dice]

[Man&Dog]

As a GPS user and a NeighbourHood Watch co-ordinator I advisor my residents to mark all their valuables with a UV marker pen which are available from any good stationary shop. Simply mark your GPS and PDA with your postcode forward slash house number or name. The police normally UV scan any found items and with the postcode and house number can easily contact you.

[ByteX]

Great initiative, but this should be done in a proper database, and replicated to a cooperating site.

[MikeB]

Not so.

The Police often retrieve significant amounts of stolen items when arresting suspects. Any equipment that can be identified is then returned to it's rightful owner.

This is where marking with your postcode or a database like this can help match victim to property.
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Mike Barrett

[astrocompass]

[kevpol]

The intention of the Pocket GPS database is for listing STOLEN devices only, not as a pre-register. The intention is that enthusiats etc using this site will be aware a) what is happening in their area b) that the 2nd hand device they are looking at is stolen or not.

A very useful database for all portable devices is at www.immobilise.com
this is the home of the mobile equipment database where you can register your mobile phone, GPS, car stereo etc if it is then stolen you do not need to remember the details. All police forces in the UK subscribe to this for search and update.

In answer to previous questions re recovery of stolen items it is extremely frustrating to sit on observations for days to catch someone who admits 25 devices in 42days !! We have recovered a number of these items and have been unable to return them or to identify the loser.
(try reading your own waypoints and see if you can identify you !!)

Kev BROWN Beds police

[999tommo]

The PNC as you rightly say is a national database, however it's use, as far as stolen property is concerned, is restricted to vehicles, large items of plant or machinery and firearms. Small portable goods like GPS systems cannot be put on the system so a separate database for this type of equipment is the only suitable way of recording it. Each Police Force will have their own crime recording system, but due to data protection restrictions, Police will not divulge to a member of the public, whether or not an item they describe is currently listed as stolen. This makes sense as a thief could contact the Police to ask them if something he/she has just stolen, has been reported. A national database on this site is an excellent idea and can be accessed by any Police officer who comes into possession of a unit through their day to day work. I think it may be beneficial though for PGPSW to contact all UK Police Forces to publicise the fact that this system exists. Any additional tool the Police may have in identifying stolen property has to be a good thing.
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Tommo...

Regularly absent, but still here in spirit !

[999tommo]

I should have also said. For a database to be effective, it needs to be searchable. An ever-increasing list of property is not an effective tool. Some form of prompted input screen has to be included to ensure that model numbers, serial numbers, etc are all input in a standardised format, to enable them to be searched in a standardised manner. This plan is in it's early stages, buy I'm sure someone with programming skills can work something out.

Good work PGPSW !!
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Tommo...

Regularly absent, but still here in spirit !

[jazzyj]

[jazzyj]

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