A new GPS tracking solution developed by GSGroup in close dialogue with the Danish police and the industry organization Danske Maskinstationer og Entreprenører aims to stem the tide of thefts against farmers and machine stations.
Several hundred GPS devices have been stolen in recent years and police suspect that the stolen items have been shipped to Eastern Europe. A GPS system for agricultural machinery costs around100,000 DKK and thefts are estimated to be in the millions and have hit farmers hard.
This has prompted both the police and the machinery industry association to issue a direct appeal to owners to protect themselves against thieves.
“We encourage our members to insure themselves against theft so that they are prepared for the spring when there is a risk of a new wave of theft,” says Kasper Kjær Jensen, chief consultant at Danske Maskinstationer og Entreprenører.
“Camera surveillance is not enough. We have seen several cases where thieves have avoided the cameras, so we also encourage members to mark the equipment and use GPS tracking so that the equipment can be found again,” he says.
The high rate of theft has prompted GSGroup to develop a new industry solution that allows for the recycling of equipment both before and after it crosses the border.
GSGroup has been developing tracking solutions since 1992.
– “GSGroup has a strong network of local, professional search teams working closely with the individual countries’ police units and therefore our chances of retrieval are very good,” says Sune Andersen from GSGroup.
GSGroup has its headquarters in Norway and 15 offices in nine countries, including in Eastern Europe.
“Like organized criminals, we also operate across national borders. Often the material is stolen in one country, transported through another and sold in a third. That’s why we have a network of partners that we work with all over Europe”, says Sune Andersen.