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Gym's New Surveillance Cameras Help Catch Several Crooks

Posted: 5:40 pm EST December 31, 2007Updated: 5:42 pm EST December 31, 2007

A local fitness club chain is strengthening security after thieves broke into cars in its parking lots. The problem got so bad at Gold's Gym in the Dr. Phillip's area, the owner installed more than a dozen security cameras.

The cameras have already helped catch at least five crooks.

While people are busy working out inside the gym, thieves were busy working their way into victim's cars. It's no sweat for the bad guys to take what they want in just seconds.

"They usually pull up with their getaway car next to it, smash the window and grab something from a seat and take off down the road," explained Matt Rismiler, Gold's Gym.

Rismiler said it was happening all the time at the chain's Dr. Phillips location.

"But this gym is fighting back. It installed some 20 cameras trained all over the parking lot," he said.

After Gold's pumped up security, the company caught at least five crooks. The system is able to follow cars and zoom into license tags. In one case, they captured the image of a getaway car and it led deputies to a man who is now accused of breaking into cars all over Central Florida.

"The most recent one that was caught was responsible for 46 different break-ins all over the city and the area," Rismiler said.

After the success at the Dr. Phillips location, Gold's plans to add similar systems to its Orlando fitness clubs and the company said the cameras are very visible, one security measure that is no secret.

"The definite message is, stay away from our parking lot because you are definitely going to get caught," Rismiler said.

License tags don't always help catch thieves. In some cases, they use rental cars as getaway vehicles after giving false names to the rental agencies.

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