Many car enthusiasts and concerned citizens are curious about the capabilities of police scanners, especially when it comes to vehicle security. A common question arises: can a police scanner in your car actually detect stolen vehicles? This article delves into the technology behind vehicle recovery systems like LoJack and explores how police scanners can play a role in vehicle theft detection.
Understanding LoJack Signals and Police Scanners
LoJack is a stolen vehicle recovery system that utilizes radio frequency technology to help law enforcement track and recover stolen vehicles. When a LoJack-equipped vehicle is reported stolen, law enforcement activates a transmitter in the vehicle. This transmitter then emits a unique signal that can be detected by law enforcement and, interestingly, by certain types of radio scanners.
The signal emitted by a LoJack transmitter is often characterized by a distinct “beeping” sound. This beeping is the data burst being broadcast by the vehicle. When a vehicle is actively being tracked by the police, these data bursts occur more frequently, approximately every 64 seconds. However, when a stolen vehicle is not under active tracking, the signal bursts slow down significantly, to about once every 15 seconds or even less. This slower signal is still detectable by a police scanner, albeit less frequently.
Real-World Experiences: Using Scanners for Vehicle Recovery
Personal experiences highlight the practical application of police scanners in detecting LoJack signals. In areas like Denver, individuals have successfully used police scanners to identify LoJack transmitters. A common scenario is hearing these signals emanating from police impound lots. This occurs because stolen vehicles equipped with LoJack are sometimes towed to impound lots with their transmitters still active and “pinging”.
Furthermore, anecdotal accounts describe instances of individuals assisting in the recovery of stolen vehicles simply by using a police scanner. By monitoring scanner frequencies, individuals could detect LoJack signals and report them to the police. While citizens may not have the decryption codes for LoJack signals, law enforcement can quickly obtain these codes upon arriving in the vicinity of a suspected stolen vehicle. A key indicator of proximity to a LoJack transmitter is a significant increase in signal strength on a scanner’s signal strength meter as you get closer to the vehicle, often within a few blocks.
A Word of Caution: Citizen Involvement and Law Enforcement
It’s important to note a significant caveat regarding citizen involvement in stolen vehicle recovery. While the idea of assisting police might seem appealing, LoJack representatives and law enforcement agencies generally advise against direct citizen intervention. There are potential risks and liabilities associated with civilians attempting to locate and recover stolen vehicles themselves.
One individual’s experience with a LoJack representative serves as a reminder of this caution. While initially enthusiastic about using scanners to find stolen vehicles, a direct conversation with a LoJack representative led to a significant cooling of that enthusiasm. The advice was clear: leave vehicle recovery to the police to avoid potential legal and safety issues.
Despite the cautionary advice, the capability of police scanners to detect LoJack signals remains a fascinating aspect of vehicle security technology. While actively searching for LoJack signals might not be recommended for the average citizen, passively noticing and reporting a signal in an unusual location, like a residential neighborhood or a shopping center (especially if transmitting in the slow, non-tracking mode), could still be a helpful contribution to law enforcement efforts. The prospect of uncovering a large-scale chop shop through such detection adds another layer of intrigue to the potential of police scanners in this context.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as encouragement to actively engage in vehicle recovery activities. Always prioritize personal safety and adhere to local laws and regulations. Consult with law enforcement authorities for guidance on responsible reporting of suspected stolen vehicles.
