Top LoJack stolen motorcycle reports of 2009

Bikes on Kebler Pass

It's always heart-warming to read about those scum who steal motorcycles getting caught. The LoJack tracking system is one tool that helps police apprehend the perps, and LoJack issues a release at the end of each year detailing the busts they are most proud of. I've already told you about several of these busts because I stay in touch with Jeremy Warnick, Assistant Manager for Corporate Communications, who periodically sends me reports. Others are new. Read and enjoy.

• Best Story about Getting the Bad Guys – Raleigh, North Carolina police tracked the signal from a stolen LoJack- equipped 2001 Suzuki TL1000 and discovered a theft ring involving 10 stolen motorcycles (many of which had not even been reported stolen yet), a stolen trailer and a U-Haul truck.  Further investigation led police to a total of four arrests of suspects who were charged with a total of 33 felonies.

• Fastest Chop Shop Bust – A 2006 Suzuki GSXR-1000 was stolen and recovered in only 17 minutes, thanks to the LoJack Stolen Vehicle Recovery System and the Charles County Sheriff’s Office (Maryland). Officers tracked the bike to an abandoned warehouse containing three stolen cars, two additional stolen motorcycles, parts of a stolen vehicle and a dozen boxes containing other car parts.

• Biggest Chop Shop – The owner of a Kawasaki ZX600 reported the bike stolen in North Carolina and shortly thereafter officers with the Florence County Sheriff’s Department tracked the bike to a private garage that was operating a chop shop. Overall, 17 stolen motorcycles were recovered and identified as stolen out of North Carolina and South Carolina. Six subjects were arrested.
• Best Use of Radio Frequency – After the owner of a 2008 Honda CBR600 reported his bike stolen, officers with the Richmond Police Department (California) and Contra Costa Auto Theft Task Force tracked the LoJack signal to the second floor of a four floor apartment building. Inside the apartment, officers found two suspects boxing up chopped up bike parts and preparing them for shipment to Brazil. 

• Best Bust of an Online Chop Shop – A stolen motorcycle in Georgia led Henry County police to an individual who had been operating a chop shop for months and selling parts online. Investigators found 13 complete motorcycles and the frames and motors for six other bikes. 

• Great Save at Bike Week – In this recovery, a 2007 Suzuki GSXR 600 was stolen during Bike Week in Myrtle Beach. Myrtle Beach police quickly recovered the bike at a local hotel where the thief was actually in the process of loading a second stolen bike into the trailer.

Jeremy tells me LoJack is now targeting other markets for their tracking devices. "Most recently," he says, "we’re diversifying into people at risk of wandering, cargo security, and laptops. However, we are strongly evaluating anything that has to do with finding, protecting, and recovering."

Makes sense. Maybe someday you'll be using LoJack to track your grandfather who has Alzheimer's.

Disclaimer: I have no connection to LoJack, I simply pass along their reports of recoveries because I find them interesting and hope you do, too. If another tracking and recovery system producer wants to supply me with their reports I'll be happy to run them, too.

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