Tesla’s Sentry Mode has only been available for car owners for a few months, but it’s already managed to help catch a suspected thief.
Sentry Mode, launched in January, is a security feature that turns on a Tesla’s 360-degree dash camera when the driver is away and alerts them to any suspicious activity.
This month, the feature helped San Francisco cops nab a would-be car thief who smashed the window of a Model 3, according to ABC7 News.
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Tesla’s Sentry Mode has only been available for car owners for a few months, but it managed to help catch a suspected thief. Dashcam video captured the burglar breaking into a Model 3
San Francisco resident Jed Franklin was away from his Model 3 when the attacker attempted to enter his vehicle.
Franklin received an alert on his phone that Sentry Mode was triggered, while the vehicle captured the thief breaking into his rear passenger-side window in full view.
When Sentry Mode is triggered, the dash cameras on a Tesla begin recording from multiple angles.
Franklin handed this footage over to the authorities and they soon apprehended the burglar, 21-year-old Jeremiah Jefferson.
Jefferson has since been charged with second-degree burglary, along with probation violation.
Cameras not only caught the license plate of Jefferson’s white sedan, but also a shot of his face in detail. Police later apprehended the suspect and charged him with second-degree burglary
The 360-degree cameras not only caught the license plate of Jefferson’s white sedan, but also a shot of his face in clear detail.
Jefferson didn’t make off with anything from the vehicle and the police investigation into the case is still ongoing, ABC7 reported.
Police arrested 21-year-old Jeremiah Jefferson for second-degree burglary in connection with the Model 3 break-in
The case follows an earlier incident that was captured by a Tesla’s on-board cameras and led to an arrest.
Earlier this month, Sentry Mode was able to capture a woman reportedly deliberately keying a man’s Tesla, according to The Drive.
The video was uploaded by YouTuber Teslatino, who said they were sent the footage by a friend who owns the car that was vandalized.
In the footage, the woman can be seen keying the car door two different times.
Thanks to Sentry Mode, the car owner was able to share the footage with local police and the suspect was arrested for vandalizing the vehicle.
The electric car company first teased Sentry Mode earlier this year.
In a series of tweets, CEO Elon Musk said ‘Sentry Mode’ would give users the ability to see and record any activity that happens when they step away from their Tesla.
‘Sentry Mode’ is available for all cars with Enhanced Autopilot, according to Musk.
CEO Elon Musk said the company will roll out ‘Sentry Mode’ that should give users the ability to see and record any activity that happens when they step away from their Tesla
Autopilot, or Enhanced Autopilot as it was renamed to in 2016, is the software that allows Tesla vehicles to drive semi-autonomously.
It enables the dashcam to remain on when the driver is away and is activated when the car senses it’s been hit.
Musk’s post was prompted by a tweet from a Tesla owner who said his car had been hit.
‘Found this monster dent this morning, right in front of the rear facing cameras,’ Twitter user Andy Sutton wrote.
‘Really wish there was a 360 dash cam feature while parked.’
Sentry mode takes advantage of a software update, released last October for cars with Hardware 2.5 or later, which allows users to record 360-degree footage with their vehicle’s front-facing camera.
The footage is recorded and stored on a USB flash drive that the user has to provide.
It comes as Musk has also talked about introducing ‘dog mode’ for the Model 3.
‘Dog mode’ would help canine owners when they have to step away from their vehicle.
Twitter user Josh Atchley asked Musk if he could implement a ‘dog mode’ feature ‘where the music plays and the AC is on, with a display on screen saying “I’m fine my owner will be right back.”‘
It’s unclear when Sentry mode will launch, but it could enable users to activate their vehicle’s 360-degree front-facing camera while they’ve stepped away to record any possible accidents
To this, Musk simply replied: ‘Yes.’
By including a message on the Model 3’s main screen, it would notify people that the dog or child is OK.
Furthermore, another user suggested including the interior temperature on the screen as well – an idea that Musk seemed to like, replying in a tweet, ‘Exactly.’
As with most of Musk’s ideas born on Twitter, there’s no guarantee this feature will ever launch in subsequent Tesla software updates.
WHAT IS TESLA’S MODEL 3 ELECTRIC CAR?
Tesla’s Model 3 is the company’s first lower-cost, high-volume car.
The electric sedan is crucial to Tesla’s goal of becoming a profitable, mainstream automaker.
The five-seat sedan will travel 215 miles (133 kilometres) on a single charge.
It will be sporty, accelerating from zero to 60mph (0-100kph) in under six seconds.
The Model 3 is Tesla’s first lower-cost, high-volume car. The first models of the $35,000 (£27,000) electric vehicle began production in July 2017
The car has no traditional dashboard, but instead a computer monitor in the center of the car which shows details about the car and its route.
It will be controlled via a touchscreen and each side of the steering wheel will have a single scroll button.
The first models of the $35,000 (£27,000) electric vehicle began production in July 2017.
But the company has suffered production woes ever since, frequently missing the targets it set itself when the vehicle was announced in 2016.
