Police recommend GPS in vehicles

Auto lifters have learned that stealing is lucrative, but not a secure profession to be involved in anymore, police said.

Over the past few years, it has also been found that auto lifters stay clear of vehicles displaying a GPS system sticker as the vehicle-tracking software helps locate a stolen vehicle. Insurance companies also look favourably on owners instaling the software.

In 2013, motor vehicle thefts accounted for around 19 per cent of the 73,958 Indian Penal Code cases registered in the Capital. Police managed to recover only 14 per cent of the vehicles, but arrested 2,818 auto lifters.

According to Ravindra Yadav, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime), thieves in the Capital are mostly on the lookout for two-wheelers.

The reason being the little effort required to hide or dispose them. When it comes to car thefts, the 'demand and supply’ model determines their action.

“The demand for stolen vehicles is higher in villages and the interiors of the country. However, there are no particular target areas for the thieves. When it comes to cars, small cars are the preferred option for thieves and there is a lesser demand for big stolen cars. When people spend a big amount, they want to take fewer risks and keep off stolen cars,” he said.Police believe criminals usually abandon stolen vehicles on the roadside to avoid detection in the initial days.

Statistics reveal that 13,900 vehicles were stolen in the Capital last year, of which 1,893 were recovered.

The theft saw an increase of 2.03 per cent when compared to 13,624 stolen vehicles in 2012. Among the stolen vehicles were 9,059 two-wheelers, 4,210 cars and 648 other vehicles.

“The acute shortage of parking space and the general practice of parking vehicles on roadsides coupled with the indifference of a majority of motor vehicles owners towards instaling anti-auto theft equipment is a major contributory factor,” believes Dharmendra Kumar, Special Commissioner of Police (Crime).

“One of the solutions recommended is instaling a GPS based vehicle-tracking software which costs around Rs 10,000. The software provides accurate information on the vehicle’s whereabouts. Also, where the vehicle is being taken to,” said Naman Mishra, sales manager with Maruti Suzuki, adding they now also provide car central locking system which can lock or unlock the vehicle by simply sending an SMS.