Coffee Shop Thieves
Several times over the past two weeks we have received reports of thefts at coffee shops; someone’s wallet was taken from her purse and someone’s laptop taken right in front of them. The thieves are very fast and work in pairs or groups so they can make quick getaways. We received the email below from the Old 4th Ward Patrol summing up the situation very well and giving some good pointers that we share with you.
“Over the course of this year, we have noticed an increasing trend of criminals employing a brazen tactic to steal mobile phones (typically smart phones) from people WHILE THEY ARE USING THEM. Similar tactics are being used to steal laptops and tablets from people WHILE THEY ARE USING THEM. We have highlighted these incidents in our monthly newsletters, but we wanted to further highlight this to our membership to increase awareness. Crime often increases around the holidays, and we want to make sure that you are informed and aware so that your smart phone or laptop/tablet is not someone else’s Christmas present this year.
The common denominator in these incidents (mobile phones, laptops and tablets) is that people are using the devices in public places, which makes the victims less aware of their surroundings. This distraction/lack of awareness creates the opportunity for the criminal to get close enough to you to quickly grab the device from your hands and run away, often into a getaway car parked nearby that speeds off.
Mobile phones have been yanked out of people’s hands while they are talking on them or using them to check Facebook, etc. and have been taken off of tables where people often place their phones while they are eating or drinking. Coffee shops are a very popular place for laptop thefts throughout the city. We have seen a number of reports where the criminal simply walks up and grabs the laptop and runs off. We have also seen reports where the criminal will sit at the table next to the victim for 10 or 15 minutes, and then grab the laptop and run off. Seems these events occur more frequently to people sitting at tables outside coffee shops, but we have also seen incidents that occur inside coffee shops.
Some tips to help prevent this:
- While not ideal, the best way to avoid being a victim of this is to not bring your laptop or tablet to a coffee shop (or other public places) and minimize the use of your mobile phone for extended periods of time in public places. Realizing that is not realistic for many people, try to maintain your awareness of who is around you, where you are sitting, etc. Never leave your laptop on the table at a public place to grab some more Splenda, use the restroom, etc., no matter how quickly you think it may take. A criminal can grab your laptop and run out much quicker.
- Don’t put your mobile phone on the table next to you in a public place. Keep them in your pocket or purse where they can’t be seen or easily grabbed. (Keep that purse in a secure place though!)
- Don’t have earphones in listening to music while working on your laptop in a public place or listening to music on your smart phone while walking around town. You put yourself in a vulnerable position by eliminating the use of one of your primary senses that can alert you to what is going on around you.
- Write down the serial number of your laptop, table and smart phone and keep that information in a safe place (you should do this for all electronics that you have, especially flat screen TVs). If your device is stolen, file a police report immediately and get the serial number information to APD. They will alert the pawn shops so that if your device is brought in for pawn, APD can be alerted and hopefully arrest the criminal. Or, if the device is found later with someone, the serial number can be checked by APD to see if it is stolen and may help lead to the arrest of the criminal.
- Don’t leave these items or anything else in your car!
- If you are a victim of this crime, CALL 911 immediately and file a report. APD needs to know what is going on so that resources can be allocated to combat the problem.
We hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday season.
Sponsors
Many thanks for our community sponsors! While the majority of our funding comes from residents and small businesses, a significant portion of our neighborhood patrol funds comes from the following sponsors:
