Anti-burglary made simple

Charlottesville Daily Progress
Published: May 8, 2008

OK, so you don’t ride around in your car carrying a laptop with secret, sensitive information. (Or do you?)

Still, you should be concerned about protecting your valuables from theft, even if those valuables are “just” a run-of-the-mill iPod or a camera containing irreplaceable family photos.

Here are some tips from several law enforcement agencies and safety sites:

l Don’t leave valuables in your car in plain view — or even obscured view. That purse you think you covered with a sweater before heading out for a walk on the local greenbelt trail might be easily spotted by a thief.

l Always lock your car and close your windows. This could prevent not just the theft of valuables left inside, but theft of the vehicle itself.

l Don’t park in an isolated place. That just protects the thief from surveillance.

l Take note if someone seems to be loitering near parked cars or bikes. He may be planning to steal a bike or take something from an unattended car.

Note and remember the description of the person, just in case.

l If you put valuables in the trunk for protection, do so before you arrive at your destination. Someone might be watching as you “hide” the items and then steal them from the trunk.

l Don’t let your electronic equipment — laptop, camera, cell phone, personal digital assistant, mp3 player, USB thumb drive — out of your sight in any public place, at any time.

l Protect your electronic data with passwords.

l Delete sensitive information from electronic devices as soon as you no longer need it. If possible, also delete information if you are taking the devices (laptops, PDAs) to a non-secure location.

Recently there have been stories and police alerts about other varieties of theft.

Theft of wedding gifts seems to be on the upswing. Cagey thieves dressed like wedding guests at the reception steal easily pocketed packages or — easier still — cards and gift envelopes containing money.

Don’t have a gift table at the wedding or reception; ask that gifts be sent directly to you instead. Or have guests keep gifts with them at the reception — especially money or gift cards — until you can visit each table and collect the presents. Then have those presents stored in a locked location. Finally, don’t be shy about booting a gate-crasher; he might be looking for more than just a free meal at the buffet line.

At airports, personal belongings may be easily stolen when travelers are distracted in the ticket, security or boarding line or when they are trying to catch some rest in the waiting area. Rules about keeping your eye on your valuables at all times apply here – plus some additional ideas.

For instance, at the security checkstation, wait till the other person has cleared the line before putting your valuables on the conveyor belt. That way you can go through the security check at about the same time as your carry-on or purse and not leave it unattended on the other side. Keep your most important valuables in your carry-on. Get to the baggage claim area as quickly as possible. Don’t give a thief any extra time to snatch your bag off the carousel and disappear. Don’t buy obviously expensive luggage that may suggest to a thief that expensive possessions are stored inside.