Wednesday, April 14, 2004
High Tech Robber Tracking
A 26 year old man being sought in connection with nearly 100 armed robberies around the L.A. area, as well as on a warrant for a federal probation violation stemming from an old cocaine conviction, was brought to justice after he robbed a PNC Bank in Cincinnati, Ohio earlier this week. Trevor Damaurn Woods had been on the U.S. Marshal's 15 Most Wanted List.
So, how was he finally caught? According to a news article sent to us by BOL user Michael Mingey, the thief's arrest resulted from the bank teller slipping a GPS device in with the cash. In a matter of minutes, the cops were hot on his trail (along with the two other men who robbed the bank with him) and the thief was apprehended after his car hit a tree.
I witnessed a demonstration of the GPS technology at a bank robbery task force meeting a few months ago. BOL Guru Sharon Lewis arranged for the company to brief us on their technology and how it could be used. It was incredibly impressive. The stopping block for some institutions is, of course, its cost. Its effectiveness, however, cannot be denied.
Within seconds after the GPS is removed from its special pad, it sends a signal to the company, which then automatically notifies the prearranged contact persons at the bank and law enforcement through their designated contact methods -- email, pagers, cell phones or regular phone. Logging on to a secure Web site, they can then track the movement of the money through an online interface that contains detailed maps. From the direction the thief is heading, to current location and speed, the site shows law enforcement everything they need to locate the robber. How cool is that?
A 26 year old man being sought in connection with nearly 100 armed robberies around the L.A. area, as well as on a warrant for a federal probation violation stemming from an old cocaine conviction, was brought to justice after he robbed a PNC Bank in Cincinnati, Ohio earlier this week. Trevor Damaurn Woods had been on the U.S. Marshal's 15 Most Wanted List.
So, how was he finally caught? According to a news article sent to us by BOL user Michael Mingey, the thief's arrest resulted from the bank teller slipping a GPS device in with the cash. In a matter of minutes, the cops were hot on his trail (along with the two other men who robbed the bank with him) and the thief was apprehended after his car hit a tree.
I witnessed a demonstration of the GPS technology at a bank robbery task force meeting a few months ago. BOL Guru Sharon Lewis arranged for the company to brief us on their technology and how it could be used. It was incredibly impressive. The stopping block for some institutions is, of course, its cost. Its effectiveness, however, cannot be denied.
Within seconds after the GPS is removed from its special pad, it sends a signal to the company, which then automatically notifies the prearranged contact persons at the bank and law enforcement through their designated contact methods -- email, pagers, cell phones or regular phone. Logging on to a secure Web site, they can then track the movement of the money through an online interface that contains detailed maps. From the direction the thief is heading, to current location and speed, the site shows law enforcement everything they need to locate the robber. How cool is that?
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