Thursday, 4:30 PM
Somerville police ask people to register GPS devices
(Business Wire Photo)
A prime target: a Magellan GPS device.
By Globe Staff
The Somerville police are trying a new tactic in an effort to combat the rising number of GPS thefts in the city.
The police are asking people to register their devices, which could help in recovering them someday. The registration can be done by simply going to the department's website.
Captain Paul Upton, a police spokesman, said that GPS thefts have been going up while house break-ins are going down.
"The hit in the car is so quick and easy," he said.
Upton said 172 GPS thefts have been reported in the city since the beginning of the year He said the department's registration program, which is also offered for laptops, is unique, as far as he knows.
Increases in GPS thefts have been noted in many places, including the Boston area, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and even Australia and Britain, The Associated Press reported recently.
