TRACKER, the Stolen Vehicle Recovery (SVR) tracking service, won the 2009 Van Fleet World Honours Security Award.
‘TRACKER has to date assisted the police in recovering assets to the value of over £400million, resulting in over 1,800 arrests,’ says Bill Raynal, Managing Director of TRACKER. ‘As the only SVR operator to have its system operated by all 52 UK Police forces, TRACKER is uniquely placed to aid in the recovery of cars, motorcycles, commercial vehicles, caravans and motorhomes, even plant machinery. This award offers clear recognition of TRACKER’s position in the war against asset theft and the leading name in stolen vehicle recovery.’
Working like an electronic homing device using Very High Frequency (VHF) technology, the SVR products help police recover an average of £2million of stolen vehicles each month. The signal is tracked by the police, directing them to the exact location of the stolen vehicle. Unlike GPS/GSM tracking solutions, a VHF system is immune to GPS/GSM jammers, offering an effective safeguard against this growing form of attack. Jamming is a technique used by thieves across Europe to block a satellite signal to a GPS receiver, or prevent GSM-based communication with the tracking device, making it impossible to trace a stolen vehicle.
Acting Detective Chief Inspector Mark Hooper, Head of AVCIS says: ‘We will continue to work with the industry, and TRACKER is one of our partnership organisations. These partnerships will reduce the likelihood of persons becoming the victim of crime and directly counter the attempts by criminals to defeat location devices. It is our firm belief that only through this integrated approach, police and industry working together, will the fight against organised crime be successful.’
Adds Inspector Andrew Huddleston, South Area Road Policing Unit, Durham Constabulary: ‘TRACKER has been used by Durham’s Road Policing Unit as its primary tracking system for covert operations because it delivers true results and strong customer support. The technical support from the police liaison team is first class. The innovative use of TRACKER technology, both GPRS and VHF, has led to the Road Policing team having been awarded a Chief Constable‚s commendation, winning the Matt Wilkinson trophy for innovation, and has been short listed for the national Tiley awards.’
This summer will see the launch of TRACKER Locate. Mark Hooper adds: ‘Devices that interfere with the equipment used in locating stolen vehicles has been a persistent problem. Innovative solutions like TRACKER Locate will force the thief to tackle the entire vehicle locating technology that may be present, which exposes them to additional risk of detection.’
Commenting on the award
Chairman of the Judging Panel George Emmerson said: ‘The TRACKER name stands head and shoulders above its industry rivals and by providing a consistently high quality service to its many clients, TRACKER has established an enviable reputation in the fleet industry. The only SVR system operated by all 52 UK police forces, TRACKER is regularly praised by police, public and van fleet operators alike.’
