EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY		CONTACT:	Jim Bove , 425-556-2545
April 17, 2008			24-hour Media Line 425-556-2531

Redmond Police Warn: Remove It or "Lose It"

It's pretty simple: Remove it, or lose it.
The number of vehicle prowls specifically targeting Global Positioning System (GPS) units reported to Redmond Police increased from 20 in 2006 to nearly 100 in 2007, a 370% increase. As the number of GPS owners increase, so does the problem of vehicle prowls. If the current pace continues, GPS-targeted prowls will increase another 170% by the end of 2008.

These situations are often avoidable if proper crime prevention steps are taken. All valuables should be removed from vehicles such as purses, computers, cell phones, and, you guessed it, GPS Units. As of April 15th, 185 vehicle prowls have been reported to Redmond Police this year, compared to 147 at the same time last year. In those prowls, 80 GPS units have been stolen this year compared to 18 last year.

"It's not just the GPS units that prowlers notice," said Public Information Officer Jim Bove. "It is important to remove everything from your vehicle -- not just the unit itself, but any accessories for it. Prowlers are not dumb, if they see a windshield mount or even marks left from the mount, then odds are the unit itself is in the car."

The bottom line can not be clearer: If you don't remove it, then someone else will.

For more information, view this PDF document.

###