Montgomery County police say a little micro-fiber cloth they are giving away to county fair attendees can help prevent car break-ins and theft of global positioning system devices.
The cloths are designed to remove the suction marks left on windshields from portable GPS devices, which tip-off thieves to the presence of the valuable electronic systems in cars.
According to police officials, 287 GPS units have been stolen from automobiles in Montgomery County from June 1 to Aug. 10.
“The little suction cup circle [left on the windshield] automatically targets your car as one that has a portable GPS system,” police spokeswoman Lucille Baur said. “If the circle residue is wiped away, and the system is kept locked in a glove box or in a trunk, then it is not apparent that a car is equipped with a GPS system. Our hope is then an individual’s car won’t be an automatic target.”
Baur said they will give away 1,200 of the reusable micro-fiber cloths. The cloths do not require chemical cleaners to work and can be washed hundreds of times before they lose their effectiveness, officials said. They can be picked up at the crime prevention tent located inside the county fairgrounds in Gaithersburg.
The fair runs through Saturday on Perry Parkway in Gaithersburg.
