GPS units constantly stolen from vehicles in New York

If they want it, they are going to get it, regardless of whether it is on the windshield, in a glove box or even installed in your dash. That said, there are certainly things you can do to minimize your risk. I don't keep my nav system in my car, as I really don't need or use it on a daily basis. When I do have it in the car, I park in well lighted areas or in a garage.

 

I live in suburbia and leave my garmin on the dash at work and in my garage at night. If I park downtown chicago, I take it off.

My garmin has the garmin lock. If someone steals it, I'm out my gps, but they won't be able to use it or sell it because the buyer won't be able to use it either.....

So, what's the deal with the gps industry in general? Do they not all have the lock? If not, they all should have it soon.

If anyone is unfamiliar with the lock, at least on my garmin... when it boots up, it asks for my 4 digit pin. If I put in the wrong one, it takes a 10 second time out before I can try again. Occationally I'll fumble a digit and have to wait. I guess a theif could put it on his dash and drive for however long it takes them to eventually get to my pin starting at 0000, 0001, 0002, 0003 and eventually before 9999 they'd hit it, get it unlocked and be able to use it.

 

You can password protect the TomTom as well. But, theives know that most people aren't going to use the password function, which reduces the deterrent factor of having one to begin with. So, they will steal yours just on the chance that you aren't using a password.

Of course, it doesn't really matter that the guy who steals it isn't going to be able to use it, becuase he isn't going to bring it back to you. No matter what, you are out a GPS unit. Rather than relying on passwords, I try to make sure it won't get stolen in the first place.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daronspicher @ Jun 20 2007, 08:33 AM) [snapback]465147[/snapback]</div>

What good exactly does this do? Thieves smashed a window, grabbed your Garmin... you still lost a GPS, and you (or insurance) still need to pay for the smashed window, and you still have to deal with all those police stuff, rain or snow coming in thru the broken window, etc.

 

Just remember that most auto insurance companies will not cover things stolen from your car that are not actually a part of your car (i.e. GPS, iPod, cell phone, radar detector, satellite radio, etc.). Most of the time you need to file a claim under your homeowners insurance for items stolen out of your car, and chances are that your deductible is higher than the value of the items.

 

I work for the Chicago Police. We see about 15 GPS device thefts citywide a day just on my shift. Definitely get one you can take inside with you or one that uses your MFD and can hide. People suck.

 

Yep, my Garmin GPS was stolen from my car at a theater parking lot in Brooklyn NY. Smashed window and broken lock. Called GEICO, was told the GPS is not covered under the policy. Car was repaired within a week with all Toyota parts and minimal hassle.

Detailed it on my blog... http://www.xanga.com/scottymelon/588965720...-my-cargps.html

 

Wow. This is good to know since I have one on order. Will have to not let myself be lazy and just leave it out. Frankly, I won't need it with me all the time so I'll need to get in the habit of leaving it at home. Which kind of bites.

You are right, Uncool, people do suck. :angry:

 

In my line of work we see it all the time, "STUPID PEOPLE" they get common placed, they leave their cars running as they just run into the local shop & rob for a soda. Or they park the car with their purses & other valuable sitting in plain view or wedged under the seat. and then the best part....... :blink: I can't understand why they stole my car I was only gone 3 mins, or I locked my car why would they steal my stuff.. I had one, really 25 to be exact were theives entered 25 unlocked cars and stole lap tops, change, cigs, GPS units, xm units ect, ect.

I think of their insurance companies when they report that the stuff was stolen and the cars where unlocked, or items in plain view, so on and so on....

I love pulling up to the local shop & rob, the customer will leave the car running sometimes with children in the car & park in the handi-caped or a fire lane.. $$$$$$$$

Fire Lane $ 110.00

Handicap $ 189.00 - $300.00

Leaving engine running unatended $ 180.00

Leaving engine running unatended w/child in car $180.00 + court appearence


Hitting the pocket seems the only way to educate the public.... B)

 

We had a theft ring around here recently that preyed on day care centers. They knew most parents would leave their cars unlocked when the went inside to drop-off or pick-up their kids. So, they would hit the cars then, mostly taking purses, iPods and cell phones.

Criminals are not dumb, but a great deal of people are...

 

I usually only use my Pocket PC with GPS when I travel. When I hit rest stops, I take the suction mount down, then reattach when I'm ready to go again. It's trivial to remount, IMHO. Also, I always lock my car.

Lastly, I highly recommend that anyone buying a new car invest in a glass-breakage sensor. Why? Because the alarm will go nuts if anyone tries to break the windows. A car alarm without this feature will only prevent the car from being stolen. The GBS may prevent the car from having the windows smashed. When I bought my Prius, the GBS was something like a $260 US option. IMHO, it is well worth the cost.

Case in point. I used to work for a large company that has a large parking lot in a high-crime area, and I parked in that parking lot. Pretty regularly, e-mail would circulate from security that some employee had their car broken into when their car was parked in that lot. Before I got my Prius, I had a 94' Acura Integra - one of the top models sought after by thieves. I had an alarm system with a shock sensor (it does pretty much the same thing as the GBS) installed in it within a few weeks of when I bought the Integra. The alarm system had a means of indicating that it had been tripped. Several times when I went to my car at night, the alarm indicated that it had been tripped, but there was no damage to my car, no signs of forced entry, etc., and no thunder storms which might have set off the shock sensor. So, I can only assume that someone had tried to break into the car, but the shock sensor scared them off.

Also, a friend of mine has a Mitsubishi Evo - a car that also makes thieves drool. His alarm system does not have a GBS or shock sensor, i.e., his alarm just disables the car if it is broken into. Well, guess what happened? He parks in the same lot and one day he came out to find a window smashed and his stereo ripped from the dashboard. There was something like $2K in damage.

It is hard to say for sure, but I bet that if he had had a GBS, the outcome would have been different.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mcsj @ Jun 20 2007, 09:22 AM) [snapback]465178[/snapback]</div>

My point was... If all the gps units on the market had the lock with pin number on them and it quickly became known that stealing one will yield you NOTHING since neither you, nor the pawn shop can use it or sell it because you can't get into it... then, would theives take the time to break a window to get a gps?

I don't have to have a garmin on the dash to get a broken window and an insurance deductable to pay..

 

Most people around here don't lock their cars, or their houses for that matter. What if one of your friends needed to borrow something? People leave their boats open with thousands of dollars worth of GPS chart plotters and radios just there for the taking. Mostly it works out. There are disadvantages with living a long way from the city, but some good advantages too. On one sailing trip to Beaver Island, the deputy sheriff loaned us his Jeep for the weekend. We were total strangers, but he found out we were on foot and figured he didn't need the Jeep, so off we went. It's too bad the whole world can't work this way, but there are just way to many people. :angry:

Tom

 

I think such thefts are an afterschool activity for some kids in NYC. I have seen the technique after school lets out where high schoolers walk down the steet very slowly and peer into each car as they walk by. They even had slang terminology for this, but I can't remember what it was. Living here all my live I just know not to leave anything that could lead to any curiosity in plain sight.

I can go a bit overboard sometimes... if I'm shopping at a mall and have to put something in my trunk and continue shopping, I will actually move to a different parking spot just in case someone saw me leaving things in the car.

I also have to spot check the car when I have passengers to make sure that they haven't left anything out in the open.

The main reason I went for the Prius nav is because it was a hassle for me on road trips when I would dismantle my PocketPC GPS setup every time I stopped at a rest stop. It would be nice not to have to take so many precautions.

 

Check Craigslist, ebay & local pawn shops for your stolen gear....!