GPS is playing a major part in our lives these days and it is a brilliant tool to protect us from crime, or at the very least recover things that have been stolen and catch the people who stole them. In the USA 113 mobiles are stolen EVERY MINUTE and most of them are sold overseas. In many areas including New Zealand, iPhones are as good as cash for someone wanting to make a quick drug buy.
Often we don’t realise how easy it is, despite the fact that we pretty much all have one or more GPS and location enabled devices on us. My iPhone and iPad both have SIM cards which are on all the time. If either of them went missing, I can trace them, create an audible tone to help me or police locate them and I can wipe them forever so they can’t be reused if someone stole them. We all use GPS apps of some sort, even if it is just the mapping application on our phone. We just don’t think about other ways that we can use this technology, or how the tech can be used to catch people who want to deprive us of our property and our safety.
The good news is that when people are smart and use an application like Find My iPhone, if not the thieves, then the receivers can be caught and often Police find a lot more than just your mobile. Let’s not make it easy for them.
If I went missing and I had my mobile on me, I could be found. Of course the Police would need a warrant to achieve that, but bottom line is they could. I also check in with Foursquare and other applications, so often my last known location can also be pinpointed.
If you follow my blog, you’ll know I love stories where GPS catches people in the act of, or following a crime. Here are a few recents.
- A drive by shooter gets caught within half an hour, by the GPS in his rental car in Providence R.I.
- Aspen Police leave bikes as bait with GPS trackers on the ready.
- Find my iPhone helps recover stolen iPad and bottle of whisky, 3 people arrested in Scottburgh.
- Utah Police recover $200,000 worth of tequila using the GPS in the stolen truck.
- Here are 3 more stories from Techtrace, a company that sells an app that helps you protect your data and recover your mobile.
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