Sat-nav theft

24th July 2007

Thefts of Britain’s biggest-selling must-have car accessory have soared to new heights across the country.

Huge numbers of sat-nav units are being stolen each week, and in some regions, levels of theft are five or 10 times higher than they were just a few years ago.

And the reason, according to pol­ice chiefs, is that too many drivers leave their sat-nav on view, or don’t clean off the tell-tale ring left by the unit’s cradle on the windscreen.

Despite repeated warnings, the snatch rate continues to soar, with London leading the way. As many as 36 are taken each day in the capital, the Metropolitan Police says, with nearly 13,000 stolen last year alone.

In Staffordshire, thefts rose from only 18 in 2004 to a record high of 600 in the first eight months of 2005. The authorities fitted tracking devices to portable devices to help catch thieves at the time (Newsweek, Issue 924).

But Staffordshire crime reduction officer Jane Jepson says statistics already show 514 sat-navs have been stolen this year. “If you have stuff on view, it will go,” she said.

South Yorkshire crime reduction boss Andy Foster added: “It’s like leaving £200 on the dash.” And he also warned thieves are using Blue­tooth wireless technology to track units which are hidden from sight.