PERSONAL SAFETY
Avoid being a victim of ‘victim-compliant’ crime STAY SAFE Steve Rose is a retired Sandy Springs Police Captain, veteran Fulton County police officer and freelance writer. He is the author the book “Why Do My Mystic Journeys Always Lead to the Waffle House?” and the column “View from a Cop.”
Here are some reminders that we should be vigilant and use common sense with a healthy dose of “polite skepticism” to avoid becoming victims of some kinds of crime. They are what could be called “victim compliant” crimes. That means the poor victim made the crime easier to commit by not taking simple precautions.
Distraction
A couple lost over $100,000 in jewelry to thieves who posed as tree trimmers. One of the two suspects knocked on the couple’s door, informed the wife they were trimming next door, and as such, wanted to make a courtesy call.
The woman agreed to accompany the man to the back yard to check it out, while at the same time, suspect number two knocked on the door, and other entrances, in case someone was still inside. Hearing nothing, the suspect entered the home, locating and stealing the jewelry. Fortunately, as in the case of most crooks, they could not handle prosperity and cops arrested the pair in New Orleans. Although the ending is happy, the fact is, the M.O. is not new. Distract the victim while number two commits the crime. There are dozens of tree services, so I believe a homeowner’s first question should be, “What company are you with and why don’t you just leave me a card?” Do not take the tour, and if this scenario plays out for you, call 911 and report the suspicious activity.
‘Slider’ car thefts
Slider crimes take place at gas stations when the driver of a car is pumping gas or goes inside and leaves a car door
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open and, in some cases, leaves the keys in the ignition. The bad guy “slides” into the passenger side if it’s open and steals items from the car or the car itself.
Other thefts from cars
A man reported that he left his wallet on the front seat of his car while he was at church. Upon his return, the wallet was gone and the driver’s window broken out. The crook used the credit card at a nearby station. Another theft at the church resulted in a woman’s purse taken from the back seat of her car. A few simple steps could have thwarted these thefts. In fact, we could eliminate all sorts of property crimes if we did not give thieves the opportunities to commit them. When you’re pumping gas, lock the doors, especially the passenger door, and remove the keys from the car if you go inside. It’s so simple. Almost all items stolen from cars were removable or could be better secured. Laptops, purses, and wallets left in the seat are open invitations to someone who would not mind
breaking your window to get to them. Leaving a wallet in plain view provides a thief with an opportunity and little risk— unless lightning struck the crook. If your car has a trunk, use it. Crooks will not take the time or make the noise prying open a trunk. If you don’t have a trunk, have a system. For instance, use the lift seats in the back to create space underneath to store your items. With tinted glass, it is difficult to see inside, and that helps, but having nothing on the floorboard to see is better. Remember, most thieves will move on if they don’t see something to steal. A compliant victim is one who leaves a purse open in the shopping cart, or cars unlocked at night, or passwords lying around, even neglecting to install protection software on your personal computers. It sounds easy but consistency is a brick wall for some, including me, but it remains the king for a successful crime-prevention plan. Have a plan and be consistent.
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AUGUST 2021 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
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