Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

Cunninghams_right t1_isunodr wrote

how about Tile Pros for every car owner?

car jackings are dangerous to citizens, AND they have follow-on effects where the danger depresses housing values and pushes people (taxes) and businesses (taxes and jobs) out of the city.

a Tile is a little bluetooth tracker that updates through the network of other users, but those other users never get to see where your tile is. that means you can hide a Tile in your car somewhere, and if it is ever stolen, you would be able to track where your car is, without a subscription. if every household or car owner in the city was sent one of these, along with instructions to hide it in their car, it has the potentially do dramatically reduce car theft and car-jackings because the chances of catching the thief go way up, and often the thieves use stolen cars for doing some other activity, like running drugs or hits, but even a small chance of being tracked would dampen that use. reducing the rate of theft would lower everyone's insurance rates, putting money into the local economy, and it would reduce armed crime rates, which will improve property values and safety. and nobody would be required to share their data with the police or anyone else. people would track their own devices, so no big-brother issues.

so:

  • track your car if it is stolen (or you forget where you parked)
  • no subscription
  • change battery once per year
  • no big-brother tracking you. only you get to see the location (and whomever you let log into your account)
  • range is good enough that within baltimore city, devices will locate your Tile every couple of minutes (faster if it is moving)
  • could use it for other property as well, like a bike, motorcycle, ATV, dirtbike, etc. that might be stolen.
  • would cost less than the trash cans or recycling bins that everyone was given (even after the private donation)
  • users could also buy additional ones to track many pieces of property or just their keys
0

instantcoffee69 t1_isurpc9 wrote

This is in no way can be used by BPD for unscrupulous reason or be exploited /s

9

Cunninghams_right t1_isuw6mn wrote

it would be much harder than them just tracking your cellphone everywhere. the Tile itself does not know where it is. if you're too paranoid to carry a cellphone, then maybe you're too paranoid for a Tile as well. if you carry a cellphone, then this is a dumbass comment

4

Beneficial-Pickle787 t1_isvt81e wrote

30% of city households don’t have a car, and those with the $$ to buy cars that people want to steal have the $ to buy their own Tile. You’re right that it’s a helpful thing, but not worth the City subsidizing.

8

Cunninghams_right t1_iswh3s1 wrote

yes, people CAN buy a tile, and everyone who hears about it AFTER their car is stolen goes "that's a great idea, I'm going to get one with my next vehicle". people tracking their cars only deters crimes if a significant portion of people have tiles. if you just wait for people to buy them on their own, most people simply won't because they don't know they exist, assume there is a subscription, or are otherwise unsure. if you give all car owners one, then they will try it out, see how it works, and will spread the word.

the trash cans or recycling bins could have been given out to only residences under a certain value and tell everyone else "hey, it's better for you and everyone if you buy a $100 can" but people wouldn't have bought them. some things have to be done all at once and across everywhere to work.

1