You Can Protect Yourself From Car Thieves (NAPSA)—According to the FBI, one vehicle is stolen every 27 seconds in the United States. That’s a frightening statistic, considering vehicle theft is the costli- aay = est property crime in the U.S., costing consumers more than $7.8 billion annually (National Insurance Crime Bureau, 1999). Car owners should take every precaution in protecting them- selves against thieves, including parking in well-lit areas, activating car alarm services and being mindful that most thefts occur at your home or in public areas like shopping malls. However, the fight against car theft does not end with these precautions. Professional thieves will continue to successfully steal cars, and car owners will continue to pay the emotional and monetary price of theft. To truly ensure that you will not be burned bycar thieves, protect yourself by installing a stolen vehicle recovery system in your car. Companies like LoJack (www.lojack.com) develop and market radio frequency devices that, once activated by law enforcement officials, allow the police to track and recover the stolen vehicle—resulting in a 90 percent recovery rate. In LoJack’s 15 years of service, it has been a trusted security system for millions of car owners worldwide. The service has enabled law enforcement officials to recover and return unharmed stolen cars to thousands of owners, decreasing the number of theft victims while aiding in the capture of thieves. For example, in March, a Dodge mee: Z coco oo A hidden radio signal device enables police to track and recover stolen vehicles. Viper was stolen in Newark, N.d. Within two hours, police officials tracked the vehicle’s LoJack signal to a garage in Newark.Theprofessional thieves had recognized that the Viper was equipped with a GPS tracking device and quickly disarmed the unit and removed the car’s battery. Since LoJack devices are hidden and use radio frequency technology, the thieves were unable to detect the unit—and removing the battery had no effect on its ability to help police locate the vehicle. The thieves were shocked when the police arrived and took them into custody. The owner of the $75,000 Viper was relieved when his car was returned without damage. While it is disconcerting to know that there is no way to put an end to car theft, it is reassur- ing to know that you can have your car returned to you if you becomea target for car thieves. For more information on stolen vehicle recovery, log on to www.lojack.com.
