PSNI get help in tracking down stolen vehicles

The PSNI is to increase its ability to tackle car theft in Northern Ireland with a new tracker device fitted to police vehicles.

The agreement with Tracker UK will enable vehicles, which have been fitted with tracking devices, to be located by police through a network of hi-tech equipment installed in PSNI vehicles.

In recent months an additional 60 police vehicles have been fitted with the Police Tracking Computer (PTC assisted by Tracker and the NIO Community Safety Unit). Now, over 100 PTC-equipped police vehicles can pick up signals from tracker units, fitted to vehicles and equipment. If the item fitted with a Tracker device is stolen, the unit is activated by Tracker UK, which enables police to use any of their vehicles to locate it, even if it has been hidden in a garage or container.

Assistant Chief Constable with responsibility of crime prevention, Judith Gillespie, said: “The system is already more than demonstrating its worth. A recent joint operation between the PSNI, An Garda Siochana and Tracker involved the tracking of a stolen vehicle through Northern Ireland into a storage yard in the Republic and led police to recover 33 other stolen items ranging from cattle trailers to generators, motor cycles, quads, plant and equipment. Thieves now have to think twice about stealing a car because it might be tracked.”

In Northern Ireland there are over 750,000 taxed vehicles and approximately 10,000 Tracker units now in use. To date £2.6 million worth of stolen tracked vehicles and plant have been recovered locally.

In addition to the recovery of these vehicles tracked items have led police to places where they have been able to seize other items from the same organised criminal and paramilitary gangs including drugs, counterfeit goods, and weapons.

(MB/GMCG)