Petty Subway Theft on the Rise

I heard a news report the other day from NY1 which said that more iPods, smart phones, and other electronic devices were getting stolen at a markedly increased rate. Most of the theft have been taking place on the subway or on subway platforms. The report noted that these items were often being stolen right from the hands of their owners on the trains or train platforms and the thieves would disappear into the night.

To me this seems to be a cause-effect occurrence which seems simple enough to explain: "If...then."

More people have these electronic devices so they are more likely to get stolen. There are more of them in females hands, the elderly, and small children; who do you think is going to be targeted by thieves? Of course there are more thieves because there are more devices to steal.

According to NY1 crime on the subways as a whole is up some seventeen percent; a large majority of that increase is a result of the petty theft of these smaller items. Of course losing your iPod, cell phone, tablet computer or laptop is no small event for the victim. We all keep so much of ourselves on these electronic items and we rely on them so much that having one stolen would be devastating.

To combat this rise in thievery the New York City Police Department are stepping up their presence down below. The hope is to crack this wave of increased crime.

One thing that people can do to help stop from even being a victim to crime at all is to be cognizant of where they are whenever they are using their electronic devices. This is especially true when the train is pulled in at a station. If you are packed in tight inside of a train car and you have your several hundred dollar electronic device flailing about in the wind, you are a likely target.

Of course the same is true whether you are on a train, on a bus, or on the street. You always should be aware of your surroundings. You would not be out holding out several hundred dollar bills when you're out walking alone or on a busy commuter line, would you?

In an ideal city there would not be any crime. As vigilant residents we all need to be wary of our own actions and help others from suffering the fate of being a petty robbery victim.

Source:

http://www.ny1.com/content/news_beats/transit/147927/nypd-sends-more-officers-underground-to-fight-spike-in-crime