Tesla rolled out a security feature in February known as Sentry Mode, which protects against theft and break-ins. According to ABC 7 news, the feature has already helped police catch a suspected carjacker in San Francisco.
When Sentry Mode is activated, it goes into a “Standby” state where the car’s cameras are ready to catch would-be criminals. Minor disturbances, such as someone leaning on a car, prompts the system to enter an “Alert” state. At this time, the touchscreen shows a message that cautions individuals they’re being recorded.
If the situation escalates, the perpetrator feels the full wrath of “Alarm” mode—the center display gets brighter, the car alarm beeps away, music is played at full blast, and the Tesla mobile app notifies the owner. Video recordings of the incident are also available for download.
San Francisco-based Jed Franklin received such a notification, and the video evidence nabbed a full-view image of the suspected carjacker. After Franklin turned the evidence over to the San Francisco police, they were able to make an arrest.
