Car thefts rise for first time in decade

DETROIT (AP) - Auto theft in the United States rose for the first time in a decade in 2000, with the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord remaining the most popular targets of thieves, a report said.

Nationwide, auto thefts increased 1.2 percent from 1999 to 2000, according to the report released today by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. In 1999, the number of vehicles reported stolen across the country was 8 percent less than in 1998 - and the lowest number since 1985.

"The troubling 2000 statistics indicate we need to commit more resources to address this problem and help prevent this increase from becoming a trend," said Robert Bryant, president and chief executive officer of the Arlington, Va. Based nonprofit group.

There were 1,165,559 thefts in 1999, the NICB said, citing statistics gathered by the FBI.

The list of most stolen vehicles contains a mix of passenger cars and sport utility vehicles. Six of the top 10 are from U.S. automakers.

The Toyota Camry and Honda Accord were followed by the Oldsmobile Cutlass, Honda Civic, Jeep Cherokee / Grand Cherokee, Chevrolet full size C/K pickup, Toyota Corolla, Chevrolet Caprice, Ford Taurus and Ford F150 pickup.

The F150 reappeared on the list this year after dropping off it in 1999. The pickup replaces the Chevrolet Cavalier, which was the 10th most-stolen car in 1999.

"Thieves typically choose these vehicles because of their huge potential when the cars are stripped down to their components, which then supply a vast black market for stolen parts," Bryant said.

He suggested the rise in auto thefts is due to a slowing U.S. economy, reassignment of law enforcement officers from auto theft task forces and open international borders that make it difficult to monitor stolen vehicles.

The study also showed differences in the vehicles targeted by thieves in different metropolitan areas.

American cars were more attractive to thieves in cities such as Chicago, while pickups were more frequently stolen in Dallas. In the Los Angeles area, thieves preferred Japanese models, the NICB said.

The group ranks the stolen cars by combining thefts reports for all years or a particular make and model.

On the Net:
National Insurance Crime Bureau: www.nicb.org FBI: www.fbi.gov CCC Information Services Inc.: www.cccis.com

SKYSPY marketing remote monitoring system

FLOYD CO. Ð A new remote control and monitoring system has been designed in Floyd County and is now being marketed by SKYSPY, LLC. The technology is powered by Motorola's CreataLink 2 XT two-way data transceiver and SKYSPY's revolutionary new proprietary high-speed wireless digital technology, allowing businesses or individuals to communicate and initiate remote commands for vehicle security and convenience worldwide.

For example, the owner of a vehicle equipped with an active SKYSPY unit may remotely lock or unlock the vehicle's doors, arm and disarm the security system, and activate the car find command to locate the vehicle in a large parking lot. A person may start the vehicle and have a warm car waiting after a cold walk from the office or shopping mall.

The system is also equipped with GPS and speed detection to give the exact location for a quick recovery of a stolen vehicle. When triggered, SKYSPY will send a detailed high-speed wireless message to the network operations center. The network operations center records and responds to the message by sending a notification to the owner by phone or pager, with detailed information of the intrusion. The vehicle owner can remotely deactivate the ignition any time by arming the system. However, for safety reasons, if the engine is running, the fuel will be withheld and the ignition will not be disabled unless the speed is detected at less than five miles per hour.

Law enforcement authorities, however, with approved access codes from the owner, can disable the vehicle at any speed. Law enforcement officials are currently using the system to deter car theft, catch the perpetrators, and recover stolen property. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau from information gathered from the FBI, auto theft increased 1.2 percent from 1999 to 2000, up to 1,165,59 car thefts in the U.S.

Businesses such as those involved in rentals can use SKYSPY in fleet vehicles to quickly and economically monitor them for management, safety and security of their fleet.

According to Steve Hall, marketing director of SKYSPY, "This technology is definitely cutting-edge, one-of-a-kind, and has countless possibilities for law enforcement agencies, businesses and individuals. It is one of the fastest, is the most reliable, has the most features, and is the most affordable unit on the market today."

The standard features of SKYSPY include GPS tracking, remote arm and disarm, remote car find command, remote door lock control, remote engine disable and enable, horn distinct mode confirmation, pulsing horn, flashing lights, 125db siren, automatic battery back-up, automatic owner notification, multi-stage shock sensor, multi-zone protections, anti-scan security, local and remote alarm, and speed detection. Optional features include a remote engine starter, a remote truck release, additional sensor locations and window controls.

SKYSPY is a licensed developer integrator on the CreataLink 2XT and utilizes SkyTel's AMS digital two-way network (an MCI WorldCom company). The SKYSPY unit can be controlled from the keyless remote or from any phone anywhere in the world. Soon customers will be able to remotely control their vehicles with the SKYSPY unit from most PDA type devices.

For more information or opportunities regarding this new device, now available to the general public, visit us on the Web at www.skyspy.net or contact Steve Hall at shall@skyspy.net