By Greg Welter
The Chico Enterprise-Record
WILLOWS, Calif. — A sensor device was added to a police cruiser last week which will allow officers to track stolen vehicles equipped with the LoJack vehicle recovery system.
Police Chief Robert Spears said Willows is the first police department along Interstate 5, between Woodland and Portland, Ore., to get the technology, which LoJack calls its Police Tracking Computer.
He said LoJack Corp. is hoping that stolen cars equipped with its system will be stopped and recovered as they pass through the Willows area.
“We’re considering ourselves sort of a secondary safety net for the main areas of California,” Spears said.
Sensors in cars equipped with LoJack can be activated from signal towers immediately after the vehicle is reported stolen.
Once tripped, Spears said the signal remains active until the vehicle is recovered, no matter how far it travels.
Typically, according to a LoJack Web site, up to 20 sensors are placed in protected vehicles at various locations. The company claims it’s nearly impossible to disable the system.
Spears said officers will be able to track stolen autos that come into the Willows area by following signals which will get stronger as police close-in.
The signal emitted from the vehicle is tied to a vehicle description and license plate, which police can obtain from LoJack.
Glenn County Sheriff Larry Jones said his dispatch center is also now equipped with a LoJack receiver, and his deputies may be assisting in the recovery of stolen vehicles.
LoJack system stay with the vehicle if they’re sold.
Spears said he understands that the typical purchase and installation cost of a LoJack system is around $600.
Some insurance companies offer discounts on comprehensive coverage to California drivers who install LoJack.
Copyright 2007 Chico Enterprise-Record