Police turn down free car-finding system

By PETER GRIFFIN

The police have turned down an offer of $5 million worth of free equipment designed to detect and recover stolen cars.

CarSearch New Zealand has been involved in on-off negotiations for the past two years to have the LoJack stolen vehicle recovery system installed around the country. But the company says the VHF-based system, which is used by police in the UK, US and South Africa, has been snubbed.

"After two years of negotiations, the New Zealand police will not wear a bar of it. We have been quoted commercial bias and a host of other reasons for their inability to take up this offer," said CarSearch director Paul Mill.

"As of March 2000 we expected them to sign, but they did an about-face. It appears it was canned at district commander level."

John Neilson, spokesman for the Police Commissioner, could not say why the police had decided against working with CarSearch, but pointed out that car recoveries were not a high priority.

"It comes down to dollars and what system is most appropriate. Any system that the police are interested in would have to go out to tender," he said.

The police recorded more than 21,000 cars as "unlawfully taken" last year. At the moment, the registration numbers of cars reported as stolen are fed into a database, which patrol cars can access.

Mr Mill said LoJack would not cost the taxpayer to set up, as all the necessary equipment was provided to the police free of charge.

The system involves hiding a small device in the body of a car. It is activated when the car is reported stolen. Base stations transmit a signal to patrol cars fitted with LoJack aerials and equipment, allowing officers to pinpoint the stolen car and recover it.

"The perpetrator would be unaware that the device had been activated or, indeed, that the vehicle he has stolen has a device fitted.

"The tracking equipment fitted in patrol cars and helicopters would pick up the signal immediately and be able to locate the vehicle," Mr Mill said.

The technology involved is "not rocket science," but is better suited to vehicle recovery than global positioning systems (GPS) because it delivers a more reliable signal.

A system using GPS, called Tracknet, has been available for about a year from security firm Chubb, and involves a setup fee of $1200. So far, it has been installed in only about 50 cars.

CarSearch hopes to make its money charging users of the system $600 for installation of the receiver in vehicles, and a monthly charge of around $10.

"While we certainly have commercial motives to push this product we believe, as has been proved overseas, that there is a public need for this product."

Mr Mill said some insurance companies had expressed interest in offering premium discounts for LoJack customers if the system got off the ground.

"The big automobile insurance companies are interested but they'll only get involved if it has the backing of the police."

LoJack's creators point to the success of the system in the areas where it operates.

In Massachusetts a 50 per cent drop in car thefts over 13 years has been attributed to LoJack.

Car theft in the UK has declined 30 per cent in the five years the system has been operational there.

Links


LoJack

Tracker Network

Chubb