Westwood, MA -December 18, 2008- LoJack Corporation (NASDAQ: LOJN) today unveiled its annual wrap-up of the top recoveries for 2008 involving the LoJack For Motorcycles and LoJack Early Warning For Motorcycles recovery systems. These stories underscore that chop shops and organized crime continue to fuel the growing problem of motorcycle theft. The recovery stories of 2008 also revealed that today's thieves continue to profit from this lucrative crime and are doing so in part by leveraging the Internet to sell stolen bikes and bike parts.
"This year's top recovery stories continue to show that professional thieves and organized crime are behind most motorcycle theft, which means that bike owners need to take extra precautions to ensure they're protected from these sophisticated criminals," said Patrick Clancy, Vice President of Law Enforcement, LoJack Corporation. "Owners should park in a well lit area and in view of a security camera if possible; avoid parking between large vehicles because it provides 'cover' for thieves; and lock the bike to a secure, immovable object or to another bike. Lastly, use theft deterrents such as alarms or kill switches to deter amateur thieves and to ensure it's protected from the professionals, equip bikes with a recovery system so it can be recovered if stolen."
Below are LoJack's top motorcycle recoveries for 2008:
- "Most Arrests Made in Recoveries" - In less than 48 hours, LoJack For Motorcycles helped Las Vegas police and the Southern Nevada Auto Theft Task Force break up two theft rings, which led to the recovery of four Honda motorcycles, a Yamaha ATV and the arrest of 10 suspects.
"Fastest Motorcycle Recovery Leads to Big Chop Shop" - In this recovery, a Yamaha YZR was stolen and recovered in only eight minutes after the system was activated. Through this recovery, Los Angeles Police Department and LAPD Burglary Auto Division also found seven other stolen bikes and bike parts, valued at a total of more than $100,000! "Best Bust Reflecting the Trend of Selling Stolen Bikes Online" - In this recovery, thieves advertised a bike online and, as soon as they got an interested buyer, stole a bike matching the one they had advertised. The thieves then delivered the stolen bike to the buyer, thus limiting the time they were in possession of the stolen item. Fortunately, the bike had LoJack For Motorcycles and its signal was picked up only 10 minutes after system activation - 75 miles away from where it was stolen. "Bike Stolen - and Recovered - Four Times in Nine Months" - A Tucson resident discovered his 2007 Suzuki GSX-R 600 missing from his apartment, reported it stolen to police and just 14 minutes later, a police helicopter and ground vehicle tracked down the bike. This was the fourth time since August 2007 that the owner's bike was stolen and recovered with LoJack For Motorcycles. "Best LoJack Early Warning Recovery" - LoJack Early Warning notified the owner of a Yamaha YZF-R6 that his bike was moved without permission from the parking lot of his apartment. Police activated the system and within 20 minutes received the silent signal from the bike, which indicated it was on the move on a local interstate highway. Police then picked up a strong signal and did not see a bike, but rather a Chevrolet cargo van driving nearby. As the police passed the van, the signal's directional arrow reversed, which indicated that the bike was inside the van. The police stopped the van, discovered the bike (plus two other stolen motorcycles) and arrested two suspects. About LoJack Corporation
LoJack Corporation, the company that invented the stolen vehicle recovery market, leverages its superior technology, direct connection with law enforcement and proven processes to be the global leader in tracking and recovering valuable mobile assets. The company's Stolen Vehicle Recovery System delivers a 90 percent success rate in tracking and recovering stolen cars and trucks and has helped recover more than $5 billion worldwide in stolen LoJack-equipped assets. The system is uniquely integrated into law enforcement agencies in the United States that use LoJack's in-vehicle tracking equipment to recover stolen assets, including cars, trucks, commercial vehicles, construction equipment and motorcycles. Today, LoJack operates in 26 states and the District of Columbia, and in more than 30 countries throughout Europe, Africa, North America, South America and Asia.