New weapon vs.car theft Cellular-phone-like, tracking system introduced to B.C. By Lora Grindlay Staff Reporter It's either another expensive gadget for your car or it's peace of mind that no thief will get far with the vehicle. Vancouver police and the Insurance Corp. of B.C. were on hand yesterday for the launch of the Boomerang, an anti-theft device that's new to B.C.. About 6,000 cars in Ontario and Quebec have the three-year-old cellular-based tracking system. It costs $599 installed, and there is a $10 monthly monitoring fee. It works like a cellular phone system. A transceiver about the size of a cigarette package is hidden in the car. If the car is stolen, the owner contacts the company and the tracking, using BC Tel's Mobility Network, begins. On average a car is located in about 45 minutes, said Ken Helferty, vice-president of Rankin Research, who developed and patented the device. The tracking begins by determining which cellular site the car is closest to. Then a more detailed system is used to pinpoint the location. About 400 stolen cars have already been tracked in Ontario and Quebec. Once the BC Tel trackers home in on the car, they call police. In a demonstration for media yesterday a van equipped with the Boomerang was tracked to the Second Beach parking lot in Stanley Park. Helferty guessed the track Would take 20 minutes, but mixed cellular signals over Burrard Inlet led the trackers to West Vancouver's Marine Drive before they found the van in the park. The search took about 45 minutes. Helferty guessed about 800 Boomerangs would be sold in B.C. in the first year. They can be bought through A&B; Sound, Ralph's Radio, Performance Car Stereo and other retailers. Const. Anne Drennan said Vancouver police don't endorse specific brand names, but they do endorse the technology. "We do think it can absolutely make a difference, " Drennan said. In 1997, $20 million worth of cars were stolen in B.G. In the past three months more than 3,000 B.C. cars have been ripped off ICBC's Brian Geary called interesting but so far the Crowf Corporation isn't offering discounts on cars that have it. "We'd like to see how effective it is," Geary said. "We'll take a look at it." ICBC offers up to $60 off annual policies for cars with passive anti-theft systems, also called immobilizers.
|