Police Track Down Car Stolen from Stones Concert in Just 20 Minutes, Thanks to CSI Wireless-Equipped MOBILUS System

The asset-tracking success of CSI Wireless’ Asset-Link™ product line helped a Rolling Stones fan get some satisfaction - by enabling him to retrieve his $45,000 vehicle only 20 minutes after it was stolen.

Charles Rabbat was enjoying a Rolling Stones concert at Montreal’s Bell Centre on Jan. 8, 2003 when he received an alert, telling him someone was stealing his 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Fortunately, the vehicle was equipped with Datacom Wireless Corporation’s MOBILUS stolen vehicle recovery service that, for its essential GPS and wireless telematics hardware, relies on Asset-Link™ 100 units from CSI Wireless.

The MOBILUS system dispatched police, and began tracking the stolen Jeep’s movements. Police found and recovered it in just 20 minutes.

"Fast and effective, the MOBILUS system did an excellent job,” Charles Rabbat said later. “It allowed for my vehicle to be recovered without any damages."

More than one million cars and trucks are stolen every year in North America, at a rate of one every 23 seconds in the U.S. and one every four minutes in Canada. In most cases, owners don’t learn of the thefts for hours or even days afterward. By then, the vehicles have been damaged, dismantled, and/or transported so far away that they are virtually untraceable.

But not vehicles equipped with CSI Wireless’ Asset-Link™, which has become essential hardware in several successful asset-tracking and stolen vehicle recovery systems.

“Thanks to CSI’s advanced telematics technology, our MOBILUS system quickly detects vehicle thefts and enables the stolen vehicle to be recovered quickly too,” said Paul-André Savoie, President and CEO of Datacom.

MOBILUS, because it features Asset-Link™ hardware that CSI Wireless developed for use with the Microburst® cellular network throughout North America, is able to cost-effectively track and recover stolen vehicles anywhere on the continent - even in enclosed areas or underground parking lots.

MOBILUS incorporates several key features to provide both theft prevention and immediate notification if a vehicle is moved without permission. In case of theft, the vehicle’s horn, lights and even an immobilizer can be activated at police request. As added features, customers can also determine their locations, unlock their doors, or start their vehicles through personalized Internet access.

Datacom is marketing the MOBILUS system via car dealerships throughout Quebec. In response to the system’s effectiveness, insurance companies are offering Quebec vehicle owners substantial discounts if they install MOBILUS.