GPS Tracking for Stolen Gravestones
22 May 2014
A company in South Africa puts a stop to gravestone robberies with GPS tracking.
Of all the things GPS tracking is being used for, stolen gravestones may be the most surprising. But in South Africa, where gravestone robberies are becoming a problem, it is now a necessity.
In Johannesburg, there are 36 cemeteries and approximately 20 marble and granite tombstones are stolen from these cemeteries every month. The gravestone material is sold on the black market, typically to dishonest stonemasons.
The GPS transmitting system is called Memorial Alert, and includes a transmitter that is placed inside the headstone. It can detect anyone tampering with the gravestone, setting off the internal sensor. Not only is the owner of the memorial and local authorities alerted through text message by this sensor, but an alarm sounds to deter the attempted thief.
This technology was developed by Mark Pringle, who is the director of the company Chaldean Trading 9 Ltd. He told reporters about the alarm that sounds:
“This in itself should be a fair warning to the perpetrators. Then text messages are sent to the mobile phones of delegated family members and any integrated security companies.”
Most graves throughout Johannesburg, South Africa, have microchips installed in the gravestones to help relatives find the memorial for their loved ones. This is done because many of the cemeteries in the city are expansive, making it difficult to find the location quickly.
Researchers have considered also putting a tracking device in the transmitter to combine these two forms of technology, but it would be considerably more expensive for family members and take up a lot of battery life. Pringle suspects the alarm sounding will be enough to deter most thieves.
Many of the cemeteries throughout Johannesburg also have security patrol 24 hours a day and fences around the perimeter, but many thefts are occurring despite all of this. Authorities intend to put a stop to this with the help of the GPS transmitter alarm system. It has been noted that the cost of the battery for these systems will be low, though a price for the system itself has not yet been released.
Rather than a traditional GPS tracking system, the gravestones have a GPS alert system. It is in place to let family members know of the disturbance and hopefully to prevent the thefts. It offers more peace of mind to family members that are not able to insure the gravestones they purchased for their loved ones.
In January 2014, the Memorial Alert alarms will be ready for purchase in South Africa.
There is currently a patent in Britain, along with South Africa, and hopefully soon more countries around the world will be using Memorial Alert.
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