Thieves Track Down GPS Units

Dozens of Car Navigation Devices Stolen in N.Va.

Thieves once slinked among parked cars mostly in search of stereos they could easily pilfer. As technology progressed, they snatched cellphones and air bags and laptops. Now, police said, satellite-based navigation devices have emerged as the new gadget of choice.

More than 50 dashboard-mounted Global Positioning System receivers have been stolen from parked cars in Alexandria and Arlington County since January, and police are urging motorists to hide the units, which range in price from $200 to nearly $3,000.

"It's basically like leaving $700 in cash on the dashboard and asking someone to take it," said Mary Garrand, crime analyst for the Alexandria Police Department, who has noted about 25 stolen devices this year, mostly from Old Town.

"It's a huge problem for us," she said, adding that eight units have been stolen in the city since April 24.

In nearby Arlington, 23 GPS devices have been taken from cars this year, said Detective Damon Washington, who works in the auto crimes unit. He said most of the thefts have occurred in parking garages in Crystal City, Ballston and Rosslyn.

"It's the next new thing," Washington said. "GPS devices are the big fad right now."

Authorities elsewhere in the region have noted the trend, though in far smaller doses. In Fairfax County, for example, just eight GPS devices have been stolen this year. Police in the District and the Maryland suburbs said car owners have reported only a few such thefts in their jurisdictions. Victims do not always report thefts, police said, and not all police departments itemize property stolen from vehicles.

Demand for the devices -- which use satellite technology to provide virtual maps and step-by-step driving directions, among other features -- has grown exponentially, according to sales reports and business forecasts.

Basic devices offer driving directions on a color screen, but some high-end units include real-time traffic reports, satellite radio and wireless connections to cellphones.

One manufacturer, Garmin Ltd., announced last week that revenue from its automobile GPS devices had increased 252 percent for the first three months of the year, its best ever, indicating that the popularity of the devices has not begun to wane.

And huge revenue, police said, means that crooks probably will not let up anytime soon.

Thieves have also recently struck Reagan National Airport. Courtney Prebich, a spokeswoman for the Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority Police, said officers have taken reports from seven travelers who said their devices were stolen from cars left in the garages and off-site parking lot. A scant number have been reported stolen from other area airports, she said.