Keeping Our GPS Unit Safe from Thieves

In case you have been living under a rock, a GPS unit - or global positioning unit - is a device that is used to gather real-time location information from global-positioning satellites. This information is then displayed ona map, and helps the owner of the unit to figure out where exactly they are and how to get where they need to be. The prices of these GPS unitsl have come down quite a bit in the past few years, although they still cost several hundred dollars per unit, and they are quickly becoming the number one target of thieves.

These expensive GPS units are popular with thieves because there are no monthly subscription fees required to keep the units running, therefore anyone can use any GPS device. And because they are still expensive to own - only 10-12% of the drivers in the United States have them in their automobiles - there is a huge market for them when they are sold cheaply in pawnshops or online. The irony of the GPS unit is that while they are constantly in touch with satellites, they are only receivers and therefore their location can not be tracked.

So how do you keep your expensive GPS unit safe from thieves? Taking it out of the car when you leave is a good idea, but if you do that and do not want your car broken into anyway, it is a good idea to remove the plastic cradle from the windshield, and then to wipe away the marks from the plastic suction cups. If a thief sees evidence that the car has a GPS unit, they will break into the car to see if the owner has hidden it somewhere in the car. You might not lose your GPS unit, but you are apt to end up with a broken windshield and perhaps a trashed car.

It is also a good idea to etch some sort of personal marking into the device and to copy down the serial numbers. You can also activate the password mode that requires a four-digit PIN number to run the unit outside of a designated area, such as the customer's home. The password won't stop the unit from being stolen, but at least you will have the satisfaction of knowing that the thief can neither use the unit nor sell it unless they want to go through the 10,000 different combinations that would be required to unlock the PIN.