Photo: VINO/file

Both stolen phones were tracked by their owners to homes on Tortola where Police, with search warrants, were able to retrieve the items and arrest the suspects. The cellular phones were then returned to their owners.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Alwin James, who has been a strong proponent for the use of this theft reduction/prevention technology, is delighted at the most recent recoveries made through the use of the software but adds that many more persons need to install the Apps and use the technology on their phones.

“A number of lost or stolen cellular phones is still very high and are commonly taken at robberies, burglaries and thefts but most of them have no tracking Apps. Three such thefts were reported this past week by owners who phones went missing after leaving them unattended on a gas station counter top, on a table at a popular restaurant and on a passenger seat of a vehicle,” he said.

While the tracking Apps can be an invaluable tool in locating lost or stolen property, the benefits to the RVIPF in identifying and locating a suspect following a crime is immeasurable. The same Apps and software can be used to track laptops, and iPads.