Victorians using GPS trackers to combat car thieves

FRUSTRATED car owners are fitting their vehicles with hi-tech satellite trackers which stop thieves in their tracks.

About 24,000 charges were laid for car theft in Victoria in 2016.

FRUSTRATED car owners are fitting their vehicles with hi-tech satellite trackers which stop thieves in their tracks.

One provider said he was selling dozens of the units each month in response to Victoria’s crime woes.

About 24,000 charges were laid for car theft last year alone — up almost 30 per cent on the previous 12 months.

VIP Tracker managing ­dir­ector Craig Morris started selling the units after his trailer was stolen two years ago.

“It’s something a lot of people are taking up,” he said.

“With the aggravated burglaries and all those sorts of things happening everyone is getting quite scared I think.

“It gives them the peace of mind that if their vehicle ever does get stolen they can track it straight away, tell the police where it is and hopefully the police can arrest the offenders and get your car back.”

GPS trackers are increasingly popular among car owners. Picture: VIP Tracker

The Frankston South company’s GPS trackers sell for as little as $200.

Units are fitted to a concealed spot in the vehicle with wired units allowing owners to disable the car’s starter motor or engine at 20kmh or less using an app on their phone.

A SIM card in the tracker is the only ongoing cost and uses signals from satellites to show a vehicle’s location in real-time with accuracy to five metres.

Users can also set up an alert to get an SMS if their car moves outside a set boundary.

Mr Morris said people were buying units not only for their cars, but also trailers and caravans.

Businesses including hire companies and construction firms with expensive vehicles were also on board.

“There weren’t any GPS trackers around a few years ago, so the demand has really come to the fore,” he said.

“It’s just a matter of looking at your phone, tapping on it and you can follow your car or whatever you’re tracking going down the road.”

Crime Statistics Agency figures show a 50 per cent rise in motor vehicle theft in the past five years — there were 23,967 offences last year, compared with 18,862 the year before.

The Herald Sun last year revealed a push from ex-Victoria Police chief commissioner Kel Glare, chairman of the Comm­unity Advocacy Alliance, to fit every new car with a tracker.

“The installation of GPS ­devices in vehicles certainly ­assists police in locating stolen property,” police spokeswoman Hannah McDonald said.

Track My Ride and Ctrack are among other providers ­offering GPS technology.

viptracker.com.au

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