Cracking down on equipment theft

TRACKER, the UK leader in stolen vehicle recovery, has played an instrumental part in helping the British Transport Police (BTP) locate a stolen generator worth £4,500. It was stolen in London and recovered just two days later in Dartford. The generator was so well hidden that, without the TRACKER signal, it might never have been recovered. This recovery is part of TRACKER’s ongoing commitment to both vehicle security and ensuring fast, successful recoveries while working closely with police forces nationwide.

Stuart Chapman, Police Liaison Officer at TRACKER, comments, “The British Transport Police often patrol areas that other police forces don’t visit, such as remote areas along railway tracks. There are high instances of theft of vehicles from railway property and these remote areas provide the perfect location to hide stolen goods. This was a high value generator and by working closely with British Transport Police we helped them recover it in a matter of days.”

The generator was hidden in an isolated builder’s yard, where it was almost impossible to spot. The criminals had gone to a great deal of trouble to hide it, ensuring it was well hidden behind a building and under metal sheets, but the TRACKER signal led officers to its location.

Sergeant Mike Keep, of British Transport Police, adds, “Other officers had picked up a signal from the stolen generator but were having problems finding it. I picked up a signal but was at the other side of the River Thames, so I had to travel a little distance to get there. Once at the builders yard, I could understand why the other officers were having a few problems, given the efforts the thieves had gone to to hide it. The signal indicator on my TRACKER system was pointing straight at the hiding place and after a few minutes we had it back.”

TRACKER’s stolen vehicle recovery systems work like an electronic homing device and currently help to recover an average of £2million worth of stolen vehicles each month. The system places a covert transmitter on the owner’s vehicle or plant equipment, providing no visible evidence for the thief to suspect any security device. When a vehicle is stolen, the owner reports the theft to TRACKER HQ and the police and the transmitter is activated to emit a silent radio signal. The silent signal can be traced by any UK police force, directing them to the exact location of the stolen vehicle.