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Above and Beyond
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Police & Security News
1208 Juniper
Street 18951-1520
Phone: 215.538.1240 Fax: 215.538.1208 |
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CAR
THIEVES TAKE THE “BAIT”
By Bill Siuru
A
couple of car thieves in San Diego found a parked Honda Accord on a deserted
street. Within seconds, they had it hot-wired and were driving towards the
Mexican border. A few minutes later, the engine shut off and the car rolled to a
stop. When the perps tried to flee, they found the doors locked. These car
thieves had chosen to steal one of the bait cars used by the San Diego Police
Department (SDPD).
The
SDPD is one of about 100 U.S. and Canadian law enforcement agencies using bait
cars.
Collaring
Various Criminals
Not
only are they used to deter car thieves, but also to track drug dealers to their
sources, locate chop shops, and catch criminals stealing vehicles for use in
committing other crimes. Recently, three men in Arlington, VA, were arrested
when they stole computer equipment from a parked car. This was a bait car filled
with computer gear put on the street to apprehend thieves breaking into parked
vehicles. When the Arlington County Emergency Communications Center received a
signal from the bait car that it was being broken into, it notified officers in
the area who immediately put the vehicle under surveillance.
How
Does It Work?
Typically,
bait cars are fitted with an electronic tracking device attached to the
undercarriage, then parked in a high crime area. The device sends a silent
signal to a command center if a thief opens the door, starts it, or even tows
it. GPS (global positioning system) is used to track the car’s location and
speed on a monitor and this information is relayed to police officers in the
vicinity. Officers have the capability to shut off the car’s engine by remote
control, either by cutting off the gas or switching off the ignition to prelude
a high-speed pursue. They can lock the suspect inside, again by remote control.
Customized features include headlights which blink and horns which start
honking. Many bait cars are equipped with video cameras and audio recorders.
Equipment
Suppliers
Several
companies now offer bait car equipment which, depending on its sophistication,
costs from under $500 to over $3,000, plus monthly fees and startup costs. For
instance, Cleveland is using SKYSPY®
which costs $495 each, plus a $35 monthly fee. Satellite Security Systems offers
its GlobalGuard™
which is used in San Diego, as well as several other cities, and costs $595.
One
of the major suppliers of bait car technology is HGI Wireless Inc. Its HGI
Stinger™,
which costs about $3,400, is in use by well over 40 law enforcement agencies
across the U.S. and Canada. Stinger provides wireless tracking of both bait
vehicles and covert applications. It was developed while working with the
Minneapolis Police Department which credits it with reducing car theft by 40%
over three years in Minneapolis. The HGI Stinger consists of an integrated
software and hardware unit which is customizable to various levels of
functionality including tracking and mapping, monitoring and alerting for covert
and bait operations, and wireless voice and data access and interchange with a
central office.
Funding
Some
agencies get bait cars or funding for installing equipment in bait cars from
insurance companies which have a vested interest in reducing car theft. For
instance, Wawanesa and Progressive Insurance have loaned a number of bait cars
for use by police in San Diego. Often, recovered stolen vehicles are used.
Should
You Tell Anyone?
Some
agencies publicize the use of bait cars; others don’t acknowledge putting them
on the street. For example, in Minnesota, the use of bait cars was announced on
billboards and newspaper ads. A TV public service spot showed a couple of
youths, debating a car theft, who decided not to because they saw a
“commercial” about the local police using bait cars. Of course, agencies
don’t say how many bait cars are being used, models used, or where they are
likely to be parked.
As
expected, defense attorneys don’t like bait cars; they call them a form of
entrapment. They say they provide an easy opportunity to someone who would have
never thought of stealing a car; for example, youths who take a car for a
joyride. However, when used in Minneapolis from 1997 to 2001, not a single thief
raised this issue. In fact, none of the thieves even went to trial, since they
all pleaded guilty when presented with audio and video evidence.
For
more information, contact: Satellite Security Systems, N.A. LLC
SKYSPY, LLC
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