One local man turned into a crime fighter due to technology.

This year so far, over 2900 car thefts have been reported in St. Louis, according to the Police Department in St. Louis. John Remstedt, St. Charles Grease Masters Industrial Cleaning company business owner, was almost another victim; however, it was his technology that saved him.

One early morning, Remstedt’s employees were working at the Cardinal Glennon Hospital doing some industrial cleaning work. They were loading up a van when in a matter of seconds, a person hopped in it and drove off. The doors were still wide open when he drove off, said Remstedt. He had a wrist band on which makes it appear that he was a patient.

It only took Remstedt a few moments to track down his van as well as the equipment worth thousands of dollars inside of it thanks to his GPS tracking system. Read the rest of this entry »

In November, an employee brought his company car into BMW dealership to get the handbrake fixed. Come 3pm that afternoon, the employee’s managing director from the company Copymark called him asking him why he was driving along the highway going speeds in excess of 90mph.

Benford informed his boss that the car was getting repaired in the garage and that it couldn’t have been him.

Because Copymark installs GPS tracking devices on its company vehicles, the company manager received email alerts that the vehicle was being driven over the speed limit.

GPS or Global Positioning System is surveillance that tracks the location of an object or entity remotely. This technology can pinpoint ground speed, longitude, latitude and course of direction of the target. Many businesses use this technology to not just keep an eye on their employees, but to improve efficiency as well.

GPS trackers help businesses to cut down on unsafe driving habits and avoid poor fuel economy. It is an invaluable piece of technology for firefighters, police, large courier businesses, military personnel, and in this case for the company Copymark. Read the rest of this entry »

No one knows better than first responders that seconds save lives in emergencies. You are the ones out there in the trenches when disasters strike, and it is your job to get your first responders to the right places as quickly and efficiently as possible. Below you will find a few of the reasons first responders stand to benefit, big, from GPS fleet tracking.

Quickly Identify Alternate Routes when Roads are Impassable

During storms, floods, and even wildfires, roads often become impassable due to trees being down, covered by water, etc. GPS fleet tracking can provide more dependable alternate routes so drivers can get to their intended locations safely and quickly. Because you can set them to provide more frequent updates during emergency situations when roads may be washed out or impassable, the odds of getting accurate information about which roads are passable is increased as well.

Reduce Response Times in Emergencies

This provides benefits and response time boosts in two ways. First, the fact that GPS fleet tracking is an automated process, it reduces the response times of dispatchers for getting the information to drivers in the field. Second, the fact that it provides more efficient routing means that it can reduce the response times of drivers because they are taking routes that are more efficient. Read the rest of this entry »

A woman filed a case against a former employer of hers earlier this year for invading her privacy and retaliation. She claimed the employer fired her because she wouldn’t use the GPS tracker app on her mobile device the company issued to her. This case settled outside of the courtroom.

An unfair labor practice charge brought up against an employer was asked to be dismissed by the NLRB’s Division of Advice. The charge alleged that the National Labor Relations Act Section 8(a) (5) was violated by the employer since they used a GPS tracker to investigate an employee before they first bargained with the union. The sensible conclusion by the Division of Advice was based on specific case facts since employers normally are obligated to bargain with the union about using GPS technology to monitor its employees.

In this case, the union was fully aware of the employer’s practice of hiring a professional investigator to track down and follow employees who were suspected of stealing time. The union had no objections to this practice. The results the employer obtained through the personal observations of the investigator were used for disciplinary purposes. In order to expedite the investigation, the employer placed a GPS tracker on the truck of the employee on the days the investigator was following him to ensure the investigator was able to maintain and regain visual contact at all times. Read the rest of this entry »

A.L.E.R.T., which is an acronym for Area Law Enforcement & Retail Team being used by Shelby County Sheriff’s squad, is sending a clear message to people committing crimes in Shelby County. It’s targeted at copper crooks and appliance thieves to warn them that the units they may be thinking of stealing are equipped with a tracking system.

The stickers read:

“This Property Contains Units That Are Equipped With A 24 Hour Tracking System.” or

This Unit Is Protected By A 24 Hr. Tracking System Monitored By The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.”

A.L.E.R.T. is a specialized team that was created originally from an interested group of police officers who are with the Sheriff’s Detective Division and Uniform Patrol in Shelby, Tennessee. They specialize in stolen property, shoplifting, pirated music & movies, construction thefts, counterfeited jewelry & clothes, scrap metal theft and music albums.

The ALERT team will know immediately if a thief steals an object, such as an air conditioner, thanks to GPS tracking. The team has installed a number of GPS trackers inside appliances and air conditioners all over new home constructions and rental properties in Shelby County. Read the rest of this entry »