By Andrew Hackmack
The Nassau County Police Department has seen a spike in the theft of these high-tech navigational tools from parked cars across the county.
Detective Sgt. Anthony Repalone said that 211 GPS devices were reported stolen in January. During the same month last year, 44 were stolen. Repalone said the increase could be due to the fact that these devices were a popular Christmas gift.
At a press conference at NCPD headquarters on Feb. 6, Repalone announced that police officials are trying to raise awareness of this growing problem. He said there are steps owners of these devices can take to prevent theft.
Simply taking the device down and storing it out of sight is not good enough, Repalone said. The suction cup from the mounting unit leaves a mark that is almost a dead give-away that a GPS device is hid
den inside the car. "The thieves are looking for any evidence of this ring," he said.
Repalone suggested that GPS owners keep a bottle of window cleaner in their car and wipe off the ring every time they take down their system. He said this can help prevent thefts.
Thieves have no qualms about breaking car windows, Repalone said. Then a victim not only loses a GPS device, but has a several-hundred-dollar window repair to take care of. "It's a quick smash-and-grab type of theft," he said.
During the day, Repalone said, thieves canvass parking lots at railroad stations and shopping malls. At night, most GPS thefts are from cars parked outside homes -- even parked in driveways.
For that reason, local civic groups are concerned about the rising rate of thefts. Helen Meittinis, president of the Community Association of Stewart Avenue in Salisbury, said that residents are coming to the realization that they can no longer leave their cars unlocked at night. "It's no longer the higher-crime areas," Meittinis said about where vehicles get broken into.
She said that a few years ago, there was a problem with area teens going into unlocked cars at night and stealing such things as loose change. "From that it escalated to other people coming into our neighborhood," she said.
The theft of GPS units has become a concern in her area, and Meittinis urges her neighbors to take the steps that law enforcement officials are recommending to safeguard the devices. "It might be an extra step," she said, "but it's an extra step worth taking."
Upon hearing that so many GPS systems were reported stolen in January, Meittinis said that it doesn't shock her. If fact, she said, the 211 reported thefts is probably low, since she knows many people who have had their cars broken into but have not called the police. "Many, many case go unreported, so those numbers could be higher," she said.
Repalone said that in some precincts, officers have been leaving letters on cars in which they see GPS devices. The letters outline the steps that drivers should be taking to protect their valuables, and mention the rash of thefts.
Stolen GPS devices are sold on the street for $100, Repalone explained -- far less than their retail prices. That is why police are encouraging owners of the units to follow a few simple steps to protect them. "It takes a matter of seconds," Repalone said.
