Vehicle-related thefts are up in the ranks of the most common property crimes in the US. It is estimated that on average across states an automotive theft occurs approximately every 43 seconds, with the average rate of recovery being 46 percent. Fleet vehicles often make attractive targets of criminal activities ranging from smash and grabs of valuable parts or outright theft. These factors alone should be enough for any responsible manager to take action in employing the methods available to prevent and deter criminal activity. In the case that its not, here are some case examples from this year alone.
In February a Montgomery County Md. Fleet employee was caught stealing equipment he was in charge of overseeing. The equipment was estimated up to a value of $13,000 which the manager had been selling in illegal markets. It was an anonymous tip that was followed up by police that lead to this discovery. Similarly, in march 2017 former fleet manager Robert Otterson and two body shop owners were charged and pleaded guilty to bid-rigging, theft, and conspiracy. Otterson approved 178 invoices for city vehicle repairs that resulted in unwarranted payments of $403,081.
At MarshallGIS we have received personal accounts of managers and supervisors uncovering illegal activities within their fleet operations thanks to our LiGO® software’s. Whether its real-time tracking that allows you to monitor the location of fleet vehicles, GeoFence alerts which notify you when your fleets are somewhere they shouldn’t be, or task alerts that let you know if something isn’t being done, you can stay one step ahead of mal-practice.