Tracker responds

Tracker made an official company statement regarding the claims made in the media by an alleged former Tracker staff member concerning his alleged involvement with a vehicle crime syndicate.

A report has appeared in the media claiming that an alleged former Tracker employee leaked confidential information to a member of a crime syndicate several years ago. In a discussion with Tracker's Communications Manager, the journalist has revealed that his source claims this happened on five occasions during the five years of his employ between 1999 and 2004.

As the journalist concerned is protecting his source and is unable to provide Tracker with crucial details, including this man's identity, the company cannot even confirm if he ever worked for Tracker. In fact, the confidential installation codes he has divulged to the journalist - which detail where a Tracker unit is hidden in a vehicle - does not match the codes used by the company.

However, given the seriousness of the allegation, Tracker has responded immediately and has already conducted voice stress analysis tests on all relevant staff (and are currently testing the entire company). The police were also brought in to assist with an investigation.

While Tracker understands that the journalist in question has an obligation to protect the identity of his contacts and informants, the company strongly urges that he reports this person to the police so that the law can take its course. This is undoubtedly in the best interests of the South Africa public, who suffer daily at the hands of dangerous and violent vehicle criminals.

If these allegations are proved to contain any truth whatsoever, it is vital that this person faces the full force of the law.

As is the case with any large company, particularly those in the security or other high-risk industries as far as exposure to criminal activities are concerned (the banking industry for example), you will always have people trying to profit from the valuable information contained within the organisation.

The reality is that as Tracker continues to make significant inroads in the fight against vehicle crime, the company will increasingly be targeted by vehicle crime syndicates trying either to source valuable information or sabotage its business.

The impact that Tracker - together with the support of the SAPS - has had on vehicle crime is highly significant: Tracker has recovered more than 28 000 vehicles and arrested over 6000 criminals in less than ten years.

In terms of security procedures, Tracker employs various safeguards to minimise its exposure to crime syndicates, such as:

1.All staff who join Tracker have to pass a stringent security and police check. Tracker will not employ any staff member with a criminal record.
2.Tracker continuously conducts random Polygraph and Voice Stress Analysis testing. These tests are conducted at every level of the business from the company's senior management team right down to junior staff. In certain critical areas of the business, these tests are conducted even more frequently. Tracker spends in excess of R700 000 per annum on Polygraph and Voice Stress Analysis testing alone.
3.Tracker has a large department of people who continuously monitor telephone calls and emails to see what information is being communicated by staff.
4.Tracker maintains a profile of hijack and theft incidents against every one of its installation technicians to monitor any possible suspicious trends that may arise. If there is any cause for concern, that particular installer is immediately investigated.
5.Tracker has various security processes in place to ensure that only certain staff have access to certain information. In fact, most senior management (unless it's a requirement of their position) does not have access to unit locations within our vehicle database.

"It would be nave of us to believe that we are not being targeted by crime syndicates as we are severely affecting their operations. We are confident, however, that we have some of the best security measures in place to safeguard against this. If the allegations made in this report are at all true, Tracker is convinced that it is an isolated incident," says Tracker's Communications Manager, Gareth Crocker.