Mar 19, 2009

Getting Their Man Electronically

The oft-used phrase “You can run, but you can’t hide” not only doesn’t make real sense, but it has also acquired new meaning in this age of electronics. Witness the fact that police in Albany, Ga., was recently able to rescue kidnapping victims and apprehend the suspected kidnapper thanks to the use of a Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking device.

Earlier this month, the Albany police issued an all-points bulletin for a man suspected of kidnapping a woman and her 1-year-old son. The suspect and victims were traveling in a vehicle recently purchased by the victim and equipped with an Aercept GPS tracking device. Within minutes after the police requested that CalAmp -- the marketer of the device -- track the vehicle, the vehicle was located. The suspect was arrested shortly thereafter without incident and was severely chastised.

“The victims in this case were very fortunate to have been traveling in a vehicle that was equipped with the Aercept tracking device,” said Sgt. Edward Heath of the Albany Police Department. “This technology enabled us to pinpoint the location of the vehicle within minutes and apprehend the alleged suspect in less than one hour. Based on information we have gathered in this case, I fully believe our ability to quickly locate the victims with the aid of Aercept spared them of serious injury and possibly even saved their lives.”

The happy ending to a crime story demonstrates a different use for the mobile asset tracking system than is typical. Most often, it is used by vehicle lenders seeking ways to mitigate payment default risk and preserve the value of their collateral. If the vehicle is stolen or if payment is in default, the lender owners can remotely receive vehicle status information, disable the vehicle, and quickly and easily determine its location. The repo man then has a far easier job.