Owners of iPods may be having antenna problems but thieves are having no trouble zoning in on those that own them. In the last week three people have been attacked for their iPods, one man was robbed on the north side Thursday morning, police have charged Naeem Summers, 22, in connection to the theft. Two other people were attacked on Michigan Avenue.
According to the CTA Tattler thefts are on the rise, as reported by Chicago Now on May, 2010, “there was a 37% jump in thefts this year, from 297 in the first three months of 2009 to 406 in 2010.” “CTA has seen an increase in thefts primarily in electronic devices such as iPods and iPhones. These items are the newest and hottest items to possess. From January through March 2010, CPD has recorded 388 thefts on CTA property–a 32% increase over the same time period last year.
This crime can be violent, typically involves an assault or battery. People with iPods or any other electronic devices need to take extra precautions. Thefts know that pickings are good in high traffic areas as CTA buses, high school/college campus and convention events. One main give away are the iPod headphones, the white headphones are like an advertisement that you are carrying a very expensive iPod, change them to something less obvious.
Other precautions that can help prevent theft are:
- don’t leave electronic devices out in the open, like in the back seat of your car, lock all electronic devices in your trunk or take them with you
- don’t leave them unattended in a public place, it takes only a matter of seconds that someone can pick it up
- be aware of your surroundings and who is around you
- don’t turn the volume up so high you can not hear what’s around you
- wear them “close to your vest”, we all know you are proud to own an iPod but wearing it out in the open only encourages theft
- use all the anti-theft apps that come with the products
Your life is worth more then any electronic device, sooner give it up and be a victim of theft then a victim of murder.
