Stolen Colon: The Case of the Missing Intestine Inflatable

25 Mar 2019

While it may sound like something of a Nancy Drew caper, the theft of a 10 foot by 10-foot inflatable intestine, weighing in at 150 pounds is big news for Kansas City, MO residents.

The month of March represents National Colorectal Cancer Awareness month, and the intestine serves as a walking tour for a colonoscopy, according to the New York Times, and its thefts left more questions than answers.

The mystery remains even after the colon was recovered, thanks to a tip received by Kansas City Police who were then able to recover the inflatable intestine from a vacant house. The organization does not plan to press charges feeling that the theft of the colon did more to raise awareness of their cause, raising awareness about colon cancer, than the inflatable by itself could ever accomplish.

GPS Could Have Changed the Story

While there was a happy ending to the stolen colon mystery, it might not have worked out so well for the cancer-fighting organization. At least without GPS tracking for party inflatables and similar items. GPS tracking, though, could have saved the way in several ways.

It works very much like GPS tracking for bounce house rentals and equipment. The GPS tracker is installed in the item and can be used to not only determine the exact location of the item. It can also help by notifying owners if the item is moved from its intended location. In the case of the stolen colon, the appropriate person could have received a text message or email notifying them the instant the colon was moved from a specific geographic location.

This would have allowed the immediate notification of law enforcement complete with the exact GPS coordinates for the item, so they could have recovered it in a matter of minutes rather than several days later.

Just like GPS tracking for rental equipment saves companies huge amounts of money by allowing them to recover the equipment they rent out that is unreturned or that gets stolen from their businesses, GPS for inflatables, like the stolen colon, can be instrumental in helping communities safeguard important displays and other items.

Global System Positioning technology is so much more than turn by turn directions. It can be instrumental in loss prevention, theft recoveries, and more. Just imagine what it can do for your organization.

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About George Karonis

George Karonis is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of LiveViewGPS Inc., a company he established in 2008 with the vision of making real-time GPS tracking more reliable, affordable, and accessible for businesses of all sizes. Over the past two decades, he has built a reputation as an innovator in GPS tracking, fleet management, asset monitoring, and Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PTToC) communications. Under George's leadership, LiveViewGPS has grown into a nationally recognized provider of GPS tracking solutions, serving businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, law enforcement organizations, and public works departments throughout the United States. The company's technology helps organizations improve operational efficiency, protect valuable assets, increase driver safety, and reduce operating costs through real-time location intelligence. Before founding LiveViewGPS, George developed a background in security, surveillance, and emerging location technologies. His passion for innovation and practical problem solving has driven the development of products that combine dependable hardware with easy-to-use cloud software, giving customers actionable information when it matters most. In 2018, George expanded into nationwide Push-to-Talk over Cellular communications by launching PeakPTT, providing businesses with rugged, instant communication solutions that operate over LTE and Wi-Fi networks. His focus has remained the same throughout his career: delivering dependable technology backed by exceptional customer service and long-term customer relationships. George regularly writes about GPS tracking, fleet management, asset protection, business technology, and communication systems. Through this blog, he shares industry insights, practical advice, and emerging trends to help organizations make informed decisions about tracking technology and connected operations.