Lo Jack Asset Theft Locator & Fed Use Re: [FedCom] Re: Springfield MA Area Monitoring Results

[Ken]

Lo Jack's operations & history is interesting..  If you go to their website 
http://www.lojack.com/  there's a lot of information on this 17 year old 
company.. Basically they were the first non federal company that was granted 
the use of a federal frequency NATIONWIDE... Apparently when they first were 
making the proposal they needed a frequency that would be available 
nationwide and approached federal law enforcement.  I belive this is a 
former FBI frequency.

It will be interesting with the new 12.5 khz tolerance being implemented IF 
lo jack will be permitted to continue with it's older transmitter's OR if 
they will be required to retrofit all the transmitters...

I think that the feds also have a contract with them for some of their 
transportation assets...

Although the website provides a somewhat simplistic review of the operation, 
it can be a real challenge for law enforcement to locate a stolen vehicle. 
HOWEVER, locally about 3 years ago it broke up a very large auto theft ring 
when a local PD cruiser, equipped with LO JACK (normally the various 
insurance companies donate receiver units to police departments) on routine 
patrol got A HIT and followed it to a local auto junk yard and the 
investigative ball got rolling.  In MA there's special state PD teams that 
are well versed in using the units and are out and about in certain hots 
actively monitoring/persuing.. Some of the local PD's have the units 
installed and monitor but sometimes when they get a hit have to request 
assistance from the state PD, due to the teams complete knowledge on the 
use/limitations of the receiving equipment -- especially during night time 
operations.  I'm not sure if any of the federal law enforcement agencies 
have lo jack receivers in their mobile units.  I would guess that if a joint 
task force was formed than it's possible that all the participants would 
have the units....

Ken
Springfield MA Monitoring Area

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <RoyPB at aol.com>
To: <fedcom at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, January 01, 2005 12:40 AM
Subject: [FedCom] Re: Springfield MA Area Monitoring Results


> Once a Lo-Jack-equipped vehicle is reported stolen, I believe the signal 
> to
> activate the unit is sent out over 173.0750.