Redlands Police discover new technology to track thieves

The Redlands Police Department (RPD) has taken a proactive approach to solving the robbery, commercial burglary, vehicle burglary, theft problem that has not only plagued our city, but the entire region. Recently the police department acquired a GPS tracking device sold by 3SI Security Systems on a trial basis. While the device was originally designed to fit inside a wad of United States currency, the police department removed the device from the currency and installed it in a broken laptop computer which was then placed in an unmarked vehicle and strategically placed throughout the city. During the first week of deployment, several items including the laptop computer were stolen from the locked vehicle. Once the computer was stolen, through the GPS tracking device an alert was sent directly to the Redlands Police Department’s dispatch center and officer’s cell phones. Dispatch was able to guide responding officers to the suspect’s location, and within five minutes, officers had arrested two people for vehicle burglary and recovered all of the stolen property.

RPD prides itself in collaborating with the business community. As a result, RPD wants to inform the businesses of Redlands about this new technology. If a business chooses to purchase the system, the GPS tracker will automatically link to the police dispatch center. If the business becomes a victim of robbery during the day or a burglary during the night and the suspect takes the “bait money”, police will instantly receive alerts indicating the theft. The chance of police tracking the suspects, making arrests, and recovering all of the stolen property greatly increases. The GPS tracker can be attached to safes and ATM devices, cash registers or any valuable piece of equipment that might be a target.

The Redlands Police Department has decided to purchase two tracking devices and has already received enthusiastic commitments from other organizations and businesses to purchase their own devices. The company selling the trackers has offered businesses in the Redlands that decide to purchase a law enforcement rate of $425.00 for the initial purchase and $30.00 per month service fee thereafter making the device affordable and effective. The service fee covers the cell phone connection for the GPS device. The police department is committed to solving crime when it occurs. As partners in that effort; the more businesses that possess the tracking devices the better the chances of apprehension, arrest and recovery.    If you have any questions regarding the police department’s use of this technology, please feel free to contact Lt. Travis Martinez at (909)557-6583 or tmartinez@redlandspolice.org. If you would like more information about the devices, visit 3SI Security’s website at www. 3sisecurity.com or call Scott Cade at (949)584-0415.