NaviGONE: Portable GPS system theft reportedly up 700%
More and more people are adding electronic gadgetry to their car's arsenal after their initial purchase, which often makes sense since it almost always costs less to add audio equipment or GPS navigation from an aftermarket company than it does to spec if from the factory.
Sadly, recent statistics prove that you'd better be careful with that shiny new piece of technology. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 24,700 portable navigation systems were swiped in 2008, representing a whopping 700% increase over 2006. While the number in thefts has rocketed skyward, the number of units sold have likewise gone supernova, leading us to wonder if the actual percentage of thefts over units in service has changed appreciably overall.
Apple's iPod is also attractive to thieves, who stole 17,000 of the little music players in '08. Perhaps the rise in iPod thefts helps explain why half as many car stereos (14,000) were stolen last year than in 2006, although we are willing to bet that automakers' continued move away from standard-sized, non-integrated head units is also a major factor.
Our common sense advice? Add-on nav systems and iPods are portable for a reason... remove them from your car when you leave it parked. Disaster averted.
[Source: Ecommerce Journal]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
cdwrx 4:16PM (2/03/2009)
This just in: Thieves attracted to expensive electronics.
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Patrick 4:25PM (2/03/2009)
Cali just instituted a new law that requires you to place your GPS in the front left corner of the windshield, or the front right(!). This is actually pretty stupid IMO because if you have to charge your GPS you will be passing a cord past the steering column, which could cause some dangerous problems if it gets tangled. The front right corner is stupid for obvious reasons.
My ex-gf got a ticket for using a weighted dash mat as the base for the GPS. This should be legal because it sits closer to the driver for less reaching, it does not block the outward view of the road, and you don't leave suction cup marks on the windshield, which will reduce thefts.
Who do I write to to complain about this stupid law?
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Joe K. 4:52PM (2/03/2009)
I thought Cali was saying you couldn't have anything attached to the windshield?
AltairDusk 4:44AM (2/04/2009)
That's no surprise, count on California to over-regulate everything
Dan 4:26PM (2/03/2009)
This would be the easiest thing in the world to fix.
Have the GPS require a password to use. Pop up when you turn it on every 30 days or so, 'enter code to continue'.
No code, it's a paperweight and not worth the trouble of stealing.
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Joe K. 4:53PM (2/03/2009)
Paper weight or not, they'll still bust your window to get it...
Dan 5:18PM (2/03/2009)
Today, yeah. They'd steal it anyway.
In a couple years when it's widespread knowledge that a GPS without the pin # is worthless, the problem goes away.
For a solution today, maybe they could take the 5 policemen running speed traps I passed on 18 miles of highway today and put them to work looking for real criminals like thieves instead.
PapaWhiskey 11:27PM (2/03/2009)
Yeah right... so Police should ignore trying to prevent loss of life, and try to prevent loss of electronics instead?
Dan 1:18AM (2/04/2009)
Sorry, camped out on the shoulder nailing people for 68 in a 55 on a dry clear day ain't saving any lives.
Bomchickawahwah 1:47PM (2/04/2009)
No. The easiest fix is to simply remove it! I wouldn't have bought my GPS if I would have to put in a password every 30 days. But I have absolutely no problem taking it down when I get out of the car. By the way...majority of the ppl stealing them wouldn't care about a pin number, they'd put it on ebay and label it as NIB anyway.
Chiefstang 4:29PM (2/03/2009)
They are also grabbing the garage door openers, and using nav systems to lead them back to the owners houses. People at NFL games have had their entire houses emptied since the thieves knew they would be at the game for 4 hours.
Another one: They steal your cellphone, look for a contact like: wife, or hubby. Then they text message that number and ask for pin #s, etc. Since the call is coming from wifey, it gets texted back, and there goes your bamk account before the misses even realizes the phone is missing.
Clever stuff.
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A.R. 7:26PM (2/03/2009)
For this reason, I suggest to lock your phone with a pin code. Almost all phones have it as a feature somewhere deep in the menu. My centro is useless in the hands of a thief without the pin, unless he's a black-hat hacker.
dukeisduke 4:37PM (2/03/2009)
Suction cap marks left on the windshield will get your car burglarized, too. So you not only have to hide your GPS and bracket, but wipe the windshield clean, too.
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HODGEMAPS 4:41PM (2/03/2009)
This just in:
Occurrences of theft go up as the quantity of product is bought by consumers. More at 11.
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tfferwew 4:46PM (2/03/2009)
beat me to it
Galley 7:44AM (2/04/2009)
I dunno. I once had a $20 K-Mart car stereo stolen.
tfferwew 4:45PM (2/03/2009)
"Sadly, recent statistics prove that you'd better be careful with that shiny new piece of technology. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 24,700 portable navigation systems were swiped in 2008, representing a whopping 700% increase over 2006."
i wonder, what is the percentage of the units stolen out of the total number of units sold in 2006.
also, what was the increase in the 2 years of the sales(2006-2008).
if you've got the time to crunch the numbers and interpolate for the 2007 year you might find that the numbers stolen is rising in proportion to the numbers sold.
i don't have the time. off to class.
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Pokey 10:10PM (2/04/2009)
That's why I like the little storage compartment on the top center of the dash on my wife's HHR. When the GPS is in use, open the compartment. When not in use, close the compartment and noone knows it is there.
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demilut 4:57PM (2/03/2009)
I don't understand only one thing. Who's so stupid to leave a navigation system in the car ???
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Bomchickawahwah 1:51PM (2/04/2009)
Apparently a lot of people.