Stolen ATM Recovered Thanks to GPS Tracking
6 Oct 2016Suspects attempted to steal a South Seattle College Student Center ATM machine. According to police, they crashed their pickup through the building’s front doors around 1 a.m. and loaded up the ATM into the back.
Police say they left a pile of smashed glass and broken metal behind them as they fled away with the stolen cash machine. What they didn’t expect, however, was how fast that stolen ATM would be found by law enforcement.
Like most ATM machines these days, a GPS tracking device was installed on this ATM machine which soon after alerted Bank of America, the police and the college.
Police, after getting a search warrant, were able to track down the ATM shortly after to a home on 97th Street SW in the 3900 block around 3 1/2 miles away from the colleges.
According to South Seattle College’s director of security, a surveillance video at his office showed the whole event.
There wasn’t any immediate information available about the thieves who stole the ATM.
ATMS, whether drive up or standalone are targeted by thieves, whether at convenience stores, pharmacies , outside events or other places. Thieves use things like pickup trucks, hand carts or construction equipment to steal the ATM machine and get the cash inside it. GPS tracking devices are now being placed in these ATMs and other types of property to recover high-value assets or stolen cash, apprehend criminals and deter crime.
It’s been said that if you have property stolen and it’s not retrieved within a few hours, you have slim chances of ever retrieving it. With GPS tracking these days, those odds are now against the thieves themselves whose chances of not being caught within the first few hours is slim to none.
Not many thieves want or expect the stolen property to alert its owner automatically. But, that is exactly what is happening these days with stolen items. These days, you not only know that your stolen television, car or electronic device has been stolen, but you can now show law enforcement exactly where the criminal is hiding. With GPS tracking, you can zero in on exactly where your stolen property is. It’s advised that you do not try to retrieve your stolen property by yourself, but rather contact police and have them do it for you. Attempting to get back your own stolen property could be dangerous.
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