Thieves have caught the latest car accessory wave, breaking into vehicles and snatching the increasingly popular Global Positioning System units, says the Baltimore Sun. “These things are being stolen like hotcakes,” said John Townsend of AAA Mid-Atlantic, which sells Magellan’s portable navigation systems. “I haven’t seen anything like this since eight-tracks were installed in cars.” Police have found more than 30 purloined systems at pawnshops in Anne Arundel County, near Baltimore. In Howard County, 179 GPS units have been stolen so far this year, more than twice the number in 2006. “They’re popular, they’re portable, they’re profitable,” said a Baltimore County police spokesman. “It’s the target of choice.”
The FBI count of motor vehicle accessories stolen nationally has have risen steadily since 2000, though they dipped slightly in 2005 after a jump in 2004. Thieves “look for that circle,” said an officer, citing the mark left by the suction pad on GPS holders. “They see that circle on your windshield, they break into the car.”
Link: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.gps20aug20,0,1764847.story