Theft during Covid pandemic

[Brian Deakin]

I live in the Uk but thought it may be helpful to remind members of the need to more vigilant to prevent /deter acts of theft
Due to the Corona virus many shops are closed and shoplifters no longer have this avenue for income
As a consequence we are seeing an increase of theft from cars

On the evening of 16th November I did not lock my car correctly and I had a number of items stolen

Advise to car owners
If there is as part of your car alarm system a red flashing light which illuminates inside the car when you lock it

Always look for this visible sign as an indication you have locked the car correctly

[Bruce King]

Thanks for the heads up, you deserve a pint.
Do you have a metal detector? I’ve been reading about the gold that the Vikings stole and buried over that way.

[Lee Schierer]

Be wary of your checking account also we just had a fraudulent withdrawal by MoneyLion Instacash.

[Aaron Rosenthal]

I'm now in a position of locking my 3 entry gates to my back yard because I've had visitors in the night. I'm going to put a battery operated light near those areas mounted high.
My garage hasn't been entered, since I lock the yard entry and put a bolt through the overhead door track.
I check all my bank accounts/trading accounts every day.
The cars are in front of the house - wife's Odyssey has an alarm, my pickup doesn't but I make sure it's locked and nothing in it.
There's no point in putting up cameras, since the police are so rushed they may respond, but cannot possibly follow up.

[Stan Calow]

We've had a big increase in homeless encampments in our suburban area. Its been reported that people are going around and checking for unlocked back doors during the daytime.

Aaron, I've had great luck with the solar lights mounted around the house and on my perimeter fence. They are bright enough to notice coming on and the batteries have lasted for a few years before replacing. Brand name I have his EverBrite. They also help tell me where the dog is when we let him out at night. I've been working on a DIY alarm system that would tell me when a gate has been opened.

[Brian Deakin]

To improve security where you live consider setting up a WhatsApp or Facebook group

I live in Quorn a small village in Leicestershire The village has a Facebook page and our street which comprises of 50 houses has a WhatsApp group
After the theft of of items from my car I posted on both of the sites and received replies from several other residents
Two members provided cctv footage/images of young males attempting to access cars and properties
Another video showed a young male about 14 years old riding a bicycle and circling cars looking to see if there was a visible flashing indicator alarm inside the car
I think it is likely he rides his bicycle up and down roads looking to identify cars where there appears to be no alarm, then an older male comes back later to try the door handles

Cycling around the village allows the thief's to scan large numbers of cars in a relatively short space of time

[Jim Becker]

While there will always be folks who, um..."earn"...their living through crime, there will always be upticks when larger numbers of people start to feel desperate. The current pandemic has been very hard for so many people because of greatly increased unemployment and lagging support. People who would otherwise never consider theft cross that line due to desperation. I have seen an uptick of petty theft incidents out here in the "countryside" via the neighborhood reporting mechanism associated with our alarm system company. Most incidents involve motor vehicles that are either easily accessed because they were left unlocked or broken into. In many cases, the theft was for things perceived as valuable that were left in plain sight. To a lesser extent are actual residential break-ins, but those tend to be more targeted and are often by the same folks who would be doing the same under "more normal" conditions, often fueled by the financial needs associated with drug use. In my area, there have not been any looting incidents that I'm aware of.

I agree that when neighbors establish a strong sense of unity and cooperation, it will make things harder for petty crime, so even informal neighborhood watch type activities are worthy.

[Brian Deakin]

I believe society needs to change its attitude towards theft and suggest a possible way forward
If you are convicted of a theft then the following steps could be taken
A calculation of the cost of the police time, court costs and the value of the items stolen would be made
The court would then amend the tax code of the thief so they would pay a small incremental amount of tax each year until the cost of there offending had been repaid

Examine the picture in 30 years time when a father is explaining to his son he is still paying $100 a year in additional taxes for a theft he committed in 2020
I believe he would send a message which is crystal clear to his son of the importance of not stealing
People will often demand their freedoms and rights but equally to have these freedoms and rights we also have responsibilities
I like millions of others have had to work hard for the possessions and life style I enjoy
If other choose to behave differently then I believe a consideration should be made to decide if they should be held financially responsible for their behavior

[Dick Strauss]

Tis the season...for porch pirates!