Volume 3 Issue 36 November 2004
- Prevent Purse Snatching
- This Holiday Season: Shopping Center Dangers
- SafetyIssues Correspondent
- Operators try to make their
shopping centers as safe as possible for shoppers as possible but the criminals
specially in the holiday season get bolder and smarter making safety
in a mall more difficult task.
- Purse snatches are most often committed as a crime of opportunity.
So why give the thief the opportunity of possibly injuring you and
stealing your valuables by carrying a purse?
- Often a small
wallet tucked into a pocket will hold your necessary items (i.e.,
identification, money, etc.). Try leaving personal items at home
or at the office. If a wallet is not large enough, consider
wearing a belly bag or fanny pack under your coat. These bags hold
several items and can be worn while concealed from plain view.
- If you need to carry your purse, carry only essential items. Do not carry more
money or credit cards than absolutely necessary. Normally one
major credit card will suffice. If you do carry credit cards, keep
a record at home of the cards carried, along with their respective
numbers and a phone number to report their loss. Leave all other
unnecessary items or valuables at home.
- Hold your purse tightly and close to your body. Be sure that you secure the latch or zipper. Most purse snatchers working crowded areas like a shopping mall do not want to take more than a few seconds to grab your purse as the longer the criminal takes the more chance others will notice him (potential witnesses to the crime) and security may arrive to apprehend him. Again, petty robbery is opportunistic; do not let yourself be the easiest target.
- And, report suspicious people to security personnel. That man just standing watching the crowds go by could be a criminal casing his next victim. That kid on skates could be the new generation of purse snatchers using the skates to allow him to grab your purse and get away faster than on foot. Someone who is not doing anything wrong should not object to being questioned about his activities but thieves avoid heavily watched areas.
- Prevent purse snatching and enjoy your shopping!
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