Put GPS Tracking Devices on Your Christmas Decorations
Each year throughout the U.S., the holiday season is marked by incidents of Christmas decoration theft. Every police department across the country probably has some story to tell about a reindeer, a wise man or a Santa, snatched from the front lawn of a residence.
Today, people can rest easy that their expressions of holiday cheer will not disappear without a trace. GPS tracking systems are being placed in or on these items. So if the gift-filled sleigh is stolen in the night, a quick check on a computer or handheld will quickly show its present location. And it’s a good bet it won’t be the North Pole.
Police say most of the cases of stolen Christmas decorations are pranks: the result of childish dares or boredom-inspired vandalism. Even so, law enforcement takes the reports seriously. If caught, suspects are charged with felony theft and sometimes trespassing. People are advised to secure their decorations with weights, nails, padlocks and chains to make them harder to steal.
GPS Tracking is a High-Tech Theft Preventative
GPS tracking might seem like an extreme way to secure Santa, but it’s actually logical. People have been using GPS tracking units for years to protect their assets: first for vehicle tracking. Later, more innovative forms of vehicle tracking were attempted. GPS tracking devices were put on trailers, motorcycles, snowmobiles, expensive furniture and works of art.
Vehicle tracking systems are getting very compact – many even palm-sized – and advances in design and production are making them increasingly affordable. Some sell for less than $200.
When GPS tracking technology is used for theft recovery, a real-time vehicle tracking unit is placed on the item to be monitored. Real-time or live vehicle tracking systems allow a user to see – almost immediately – on computer where their stolen item is. The Victoria GPS Tracking System, made by LandAirSea Systems, is perfect for an asset recovery application. It provides precise GPS tracking based position updates every 10 seconds.
Billions Spent on Holiday Decorations
The seasonal Christmas decoration market is no longer just holly berries and strings of popcorn. Christmas is the most popular decorating holiday, according to a marketing survey of holiday spending. About 80 percent of American homeowners decorate for the December-January holiday and about $16 billion is spent on new holiday decorations each year.
Unfortunately, with all this eager spending going on, there are always a few people in every neighborhood determined to throw a wet blanket on someone’s Christmas cheer. Many homeowners spend hundreds of dollars on their Christmas decorations. Groups which show the greatest loss from decoration thieves are churches and municipalities. Their displays could cost thousands or even be priceless because they are steeped in generations of tradition.
- In the Village of Wellington, FL, a baby Jesus is snatched from its municipal display almost every year. But the baby had a little miracle that brought it back home last year: a GPS tracking device. A battery-powered palm-sized GPS tracking device was put inside the ceramic baby statue. When the replica was kidnapped, police followed the GPS tracking data to a local home. An 18-year-old girl was charged with felony theft. This year, Village of Wellington officials plan to put GPS devices in a menorah, a Christmas tree and other Christmas decorations.
- It’s not just Jesus statues. Two wise men from St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Glen Ellyn, IL went on the lam a few years ago. The pastor reported that the two stolen wise men turn up on ski slope in nearby Lisle. Ever since then, the church has been planting GPS tracking devices in the characters of its nearly life-size crèche.
- In Jacksonville FL, a family is still hoping for the return of a Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer decoration that was taken last year. The life-size deer decoy was modified by the homeowner’s son to look like Santa’s head reindeer. It had adorned the house at holiday time for more than 12 years.
- In Elk Grove, Calif. An 8-foot-tall Santa and several reindeer were among $300 worth of holiday decorations stolen from a family home. The mother put a sign in her yard hoping to make the thieves guilty and return the items. “My kids want to know who stole Santa… Merry Christmas to You Too!” it said.
People have taken to nailing or locking down holiday decorations to deter theft, which is a sad reflection of what should be “Happy Holidays.” GPS tracking devices work well in holiday decorations because they are small and can easily be hidden. In most cases, the thief will never know he is being monitored by GPS tracking technology.
GPS tracking devices can be hung on a Christmas tree, hidden behind an oversized tin soldier or attached to an angel – anything that might tempt thieves. GPS tracking systems can make families happy this holiday season, with the knowledge that their festive decorations will not fall victim to meaningless crime.
Tags: Christmas, decorations, felony, GPS Tracking, reindeer, santa
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