Tracker extends partnership with UK police forces for further five years

Tracker has signed a five-year extension to its partnership with UK police forces, including Police Scotland and the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

The stolen vehicle recovery system is operated by all UK police forces, with detection units fitted in police patrol vehicles and helicopters.

Tracker has allowed forces to increase the number of successful recoveries. The unit leads officers to stolen vehicles without having to rely on relayed messages from call centres, which can result in delays and the loss of a vehicle.

Using VHF (very high frequency) and GPS (global positioning system) technology, Tracker’s stolen vehicle recovery system enables the police to pinpoint a stolen vehicle, even if it is hidden in a container or lock-up.

Detective Chief Inspector Gordon Roberts, head of the national vehicle crime intelligence service (AVCIS), said: “Our work with Tracker has delivered real results for colleagues across the country, helping them recover stolen vehicles and, importantly, arrest criminals. This partnership is part of our ongoing commitment to clamping down on car thieves and raising public confidence in our ability to recover their possessions and bring offenders to justice.”

Head of Police Scotland’s roads policing unit, Chief Superintendent Iain Murray, added: “The use of the system is an extremely useful tool which assists our proactive crime work because it leads us straight to stolen vehicles, delivering real results for the victims of crime.”

Since 1993, Tracker has recovered £491 million worth of stolen vehicles and continues to recover on average £1 million worth of stolen vehicles each month. Tracker has a dedicated police liaison team, which includes former police officers who work with all of the UK’s police forces.

Police Liaison Manager Adrian Davenport said: “Although a tracking device won’t stop a car being stolen, it does increase the chances of police recovering and returning the vehicle to its owner.”