LoJack® System Helps Philadelphia Police Department Recover Stolen Buick Park Avenue
- February 18, 2015
- recovery stories
The owners of a 1998 Buick stopped at a service station to replace the air in a tire. The Buick owner was attending to the tire when he observed a male enter his Buick and drive off. The Buick owner called 911 and the Philadelphia Police Radio dispatched an officer to investigate. The officer quickly arrived on location, interviewed the complainant and checked the area for the Buick. When the search had negative results, the officer took the stolen vehicle report to 39th District HQ.
The district operations room crew entered the vehicle information into the state and federal crime computers which automatically activated the LoJack® System concealed in the Buick by activating the LoJack tower network.
Minutes after the LoJack activation broadcast an officer from the Philadelphia PD picked up the silent LoJack signal from the stolen Buick with the LoJack® Police Tracking Computers (PTC) that are installed in patrol vehicles and aircraft. Following the directional and audible cues from the PTC, the officer tracked the signal to the area of 3700 Gratz Street where the officer observed a male exiting the stolen Buick. The offender ran into an alley with the officer in pursuit. A violent struggle ensued with the offender attempting to gain control of the officer’s weapon. Backup officers arrived; the offender was controlled and handcuffed. The offender was transported to Philadelphia Police Northwest Detective Division where a Philadelphia Police detective was assigned to the incident. The offender was charged with numerous violations of the Pennsylvania Crimes Code related to theft, assault and resisting arrest. The undamaged Buick was confiscated for safekeeping and the owner was notified.
The LoJack® System was installed in the 1998 Buick on October 2000 at Metro Pontiac GMC in Philadelphia.