GPS and memory chips stolen from boats in three North Shore towns

MARBLEHEAD, Mass. - The Marblehead Harbormaster is alerting residents of a string of GPS and memory chip thefts from boats in Salem, Marblehead and Beverly.

Harbormaster Mark Souza told Boston 25 News they're currently investigating several reports of thieves stealing memory chips from the GPS systems on boats across the North Shore.

“Their memory within units had been erased which indicates a sim card similar to cell phone had been removed and that’s all your storage to your gps units," said Harbormaster Souza. "A lot of people don’t use gps until they leave the harbor, they wouldn’t know for a couple weeks."

Souza says people aren't making the discovery until they go to use their GPS systems out in the water only to find the memory completely erased.

Boaters often rely on those devices to navigate out at sea during bad weather or at night.

Boat owners told us that technology can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars to replace.

"At night you never know who’s trolling around in a smaller boat, they can get on your boat, hit and run and it’s over," said  Mark Panagakis, a Marblehead boater.

Police are asking boat owners to be mindful of their electronic equipment and to make sure to keep it secured.

“Everyone puts a lot of time into their boats, it’s unfortunate that people come and take other people’s technology away from them," said Drew Bisegna, a Marblehead boater. "You cant really tell until you get on the boat and turn it on and it’s not going to work."

While Harbormaster Souza says these devices often can't be locked or hidden, he recommends boaters to regularly check their equipment and report anything unusual to authorities immediately.

If you or someone you know have fallen victim to these thefts or have had a device tampered with, you are advised to call your local harbormaster or police department.

Authorities said the details surrounding these crimes are still unclear, and that investigating these types of incidents can be quite difficult, especially if they don't have enough details.

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