While BMW is focused on further improving automobile technology through efforts such as redesigning the i3 electric vehicle to improve its range and establishing charging networks for electric vehicles, current forms of car technology are proving to already be very helpful to customers and the authorities alike.
In the latest application of car technology, BMW helped the police capture a car thief by remotely locking him inside the vehicle that he stole.
BMW 550i Stolen Out Of Parking Garage
Seattle Police Department deputy director of communications Jonah Spangenthal-Lee summarized the event on the agency's official blog.
According to the Nov. 30 blog post, the 38-year-old car thief was prowling through vehicles with some of his friends when he saw an unlocked BMW 550i inside a parking garage. After checking, the thief discovered that a set of the car's keys were left inside, allowing him to speed off with the vehicle.
The owner of the BMW 550i, who had just gotten married and loaned the vehicle to a friend, discovered that her car was missing in the early morning and decided to call 911 for assistance.
The Seattle Police Department asked for help from BMW corporate, which tracked the stolen car to where it was parked. When the police officers reached the location of the vehicle, they found the stolen vehicle parked in an alley. The car was still running, with a man in the driver's seat sleeping.
BMW Helps Catch Car Thief
To help in the capture of the suspect, BMW employees were able to lock the doors of the vehicle remotely, trapping the car thief inside the car.
Spangenthal-Lee playfully wrote that perhaps the BMW employees hissed terrifying lines into the car's sound system, like Rorschach's "I'm not locked in here with you, you're locked in here with me" from Watchmen.
After the car's doors were locked, the police officers woke up the suspect. The car thief tried to drive away, but was not able to and was apprehended by the officers.
The suspect was thrown into the King County Jail after his arrest on charges of car theft and drug possession, as he was also found to have a small amount of methamphetamine with him when he was arrested.
Technology Against Car Thieves
Several pieces of technology already found in vehicles have proven to be detrimental against the efforts of car thieves, protecting the security of the vehicle and its owner.
A report from last year also demonstrated how technology can end a carnapping, as the owner of a stolen Tesla Model S was able to guide police officers on where the vehicle was in order to capture the thief.
