Police Use Technology To Catch A Car Thief
Several local police departments in Cleveland are using SkySpy systems to bust car-theft rings and so-called joy riders who steal cars for fun. The system allows police to track the whereabouts of “bait cars” equipped with the technology via the Internet.
SkySpy sends e-mail, pager, or telephone alerts to officers when the car is stolen and allows shutdown of the vehicle via a computer code or telephone call.
Police won’t reveal what type of cars are equipped with the system, but Progressive Insurance, which has donated SkySpy systems to the State Highway Patrol and bait cars to the Cleveland police, is involved in 40 to 50 sting operations nationwide.
National Insurance Crime Bureau spokesman Ed Sparkman notes vehicle theft is a lucrative business for thieves and cost the country $8.2 billion last year.
Car thieves average 35 vehicle thefts per day in the Akron and Cleveland metro areas, though car thefts declined statewide from 15,078 in 1981 to 10,633 in 1991. Sparkman notes vehicle thefts are highest near border areas or ports.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Cleveland Plain Dealer (12/26/02) P. B1; Exner, Rich. http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/104089869063220.xml
