GPS protects Baby Jesus from the Grinch and holiday heists

Nearly every day this month, there is news of at least one stolen nativity figure. The Grinch may have tried to steal Christmas, but Baby Jesus is the favorite target for outdoor holiday heists. What kind of person would steal Jesus? These may be the same Scrooge-like people who say "Bah Humbug" to peace on earth and goodwill toward men. It seems pretty sad when we have problems keeping even nativity scenes safe from thieves and vandals. Each year, all across America, different kinds of Christmas displays disappear -- inflatable, plastic, wooden, mechanical, even bolted down figures in manger scenes are stolen. Unless high-tech GPS gadgets are fitted inside the pieces, the police usually have no way to track down the Grinch suspects and recover the decorations.

Economic times are hard and many have only limited resources, but still they set out their Christmas decorations for their neighbors and communities to enjoy as a tradition. These people purchase the decorations, volunteer their time to set up the holiday display, and pay for the electricity to light it. Unfortunately, some of these people have to attempt explaining to small children why someone kidnapped Baby Jesus. Santa is also a popular target, but sheep, camels, wise men, Mary...nothing is safe even if it feels invaluable and sacred to the owners.

SouthCoastToday reported a rash of larceny Christmas crimes. Middleboro Police Department investigated a dozen Christmas ornament display thefts in the last two weeks. Lt. Peter Andrade stated, "To be specific, any snowmen, Grinches, Santas, reindeer have been big. They took a Grinch - the thing was like 10 feet high."

The thefts spread to the neighboring Massachusetts town of Rochester where thieves set some of the decorations on other people's lawns. Police Chief Paul Magee explained, "Most of the times, it's probably kids just out playing some practical jokes. Unfortunately, some of these folks spend a lot of money on their decorations."

To try to protect their property, many churches, schools, homes, and government buildings are equipping their valuable nativity sets and other outdoor Christmas decorations with GPS tracking devices. GPS tracking doesn't come cheap though. In a kind-hearted gesture of good will, some companies are providing free GPS tracking programs to assist churches and non-profits who normally cannot afford security cameras or GPS trackers.

SpyGadgets LLC is known for tracking the man who floated across three states in a lawn chair powered by helium balloons, to tracking the FBI's most wanted, but this year, SpyGadgets in association with BlackOps Real Time GPS Tracking took steps to prevent and/or recover stolen holiday assets. Spokesperson Wade Fisher stated, "Why anyone would want to steal a public display of something people hold very sacred is a question I've tried to answer repeatedly. Instead of sitting idly by, we decided to send a clear message by offering GPS Trackers to those who wouldn't normally be able to afford them....With Geo Fence technology, users are able to sleep well at night knowing that should their asset get stolen, the window between the theft and recovery is drastically reduced." As an additional deterrent, SpyGadgets also offers hidden cameras disguised as rocks in hopes of capturing a thief on video and posting the culprits on YouTube. For those interested, check out the free SpyGadget GPS tracking offer for nativity scenes and holiday decorations.

For the fifth year, BrickHouse Security is offering its free GPS Jesus program to churches and synagogues to protect their seasonal displays. In 2010, 100 devices were available in an effort to deter holiday vandalism. The GPS tracking device fits inside the Christmas decoration, features motion-activated tracking, and sends text messages and email alerts if the figurine moves. Baby Jesus has successfully been tracked to a thief's apartment and then recovered. Organizations interested in participating in this program should visit the Rental Information Page, where they can apply for participation in the program.

There will always be those with a desire to destroy Christmas as their tradition. Some churches suffer nativity theft every year. Then they try high-tech equipment and find it works better than a "Protected By" sign. Funny thing how a GPS tracker can save Christmas. Once pranksters know they can be tracked, that God and the law will be able to find them, nativity scene theft drops considerably. Take that, you sons of Grinches!