Wifi and Laptops Adds Up To Theft

Ant writes to mention an SFGate article about the increase in laptop theft in the world of ubiquitous wifi. From the article: "San Francisco police statistics show a disturbing trend. Just 18 laptop computer robberies were logged in 2004, but the figure jumped to 48 last year. There were 18 as of the end of March, a pace that could surpass 70 crimes this year. 'It's a changing culture, and crime is following it'"

Comments

FUD

[babbling]

Attacking someone for their laptop isn't really any different than attacking them for anything else. This isn't new. Whenever you reveal in public something of particular worth, there's a possibility that some moron is going to attack you in the hopes of stealing it from you.

Re:FUD

[DerGeist]

Exactly -- this same kind of FUD came out with cell phones too, people were saying if you carry too nice of a cell phone, it'll be eyed by thugs who hang out in alleyways with various blunt metallic objects and you'll die. They'll completely ignore your Prada bag, fur coat, 5 carat diamong ring, and 24-karat gold watch.

My point here is, like the parent poster, you need to keep your eyes open when you reveal that you have something of worth. A wifi hotspot is just a better excuse to pull out your laptop in public.

Don't stare at the screen intently, keep your eyes out for anyone who doesn't look trustworthy. It's not that hard to spot, crimes like these are generally crimes of opportunity (in TFA it sounds organized, though, but note they still picked an easy target) Don't make yourself an easy target, stay in plain view of many people, watch your back (try to sit against a wall if possible, it makes you virtually impossible to sneak up on).

If someone shady approaches you, prepare yourself, if they continue and you don't trust them, make a scene. Even if you look like a jerk (or even insane) you'll be alive and keep your laptop. Most importantly, do NOT take a long, dark path to your car. This is key; many times criminals will "stake out" a place for customers carrying a thick wad or valuables, then mug them on their way to their car. Under your car, behind it, and behind nearby objects are favorite hiding places.

The number one thing criminals hate is attention. Keep in mind the thoughts of a criminal and you'll be fine:

* Quick grab, quick escape
* No witnesses
* They do not necessarily want to kill you or anyone else (most criminals try not to add time voluntarily) but are most likely armed

Re:FUD

[corbettw]

Well, there is one important difference. 15 years ago, robbing a regular middle-class guy would get you maybe $30-60 in cash and a $100 watch. These days, you have every other college student or white collar employee carrying around a $400 cell phone, a $300 music player, and possibly a $1500 computer. And they're using all of this stuff in public. This makes mugging people a lot more profitable than it used to be.

One has to wonder if muggings would be as common if, in addition to the above gear, mister average guy was also carrying a $900 pistol...

Re:Or it could just be...

[Loconut1389]

TFA points out that people congregate with laptops at hotspots. This is true. Thiefs know they can find one or many at such a place.

Before I RTFA'd, I had the same thought. Afterwards, I still have the contention that people would still sit at starbucks and work on excel wireless or no.

More laptops does = more crime. Hotspots may be a factor, but not nearly like they make it out to be.

Really? That's it?

[theheff]

If you consider that San Francisco consists of millions of people... is 18 really a lot? I mean sure, stolen property it stolen property, but the figures sound rather minute.

Re:Really? That's it?

[ScrewMaster]

Presumably that's just the 18 that bothered to fill out a police report. The true number is probably much higher.

Re:Really? That's it?

[neurojab]

>If you consider that San Francisco consists of millions of people

While the metropolitan San Francisco Bay Area consists of millions of people (exactly how many depends on what you consider the bay area), SF itself houses only 744,230 (give or take). The most populous city in the bay area is San Jose, with 945,000.

But your basic point is right. Oakland (another bay area city, smaller than SF at 412,318) has had over 30 murders so far this year, so 18 laptop thefts isn't exactly a crime wave.

duh

[tacokill]

Did anyone happen to consider that, since there are MORE laptops in the world, there might be more thefts?

Correlation doesn't mean causation and all that jazz.


(wtf - this is news now?)

Re:Or it could just be...

[ozmanjusri]

Same idea, but working in favor of the thieves.

So why not concentrate a few plain-clothes cops in the same areas and tip the balance the other way?

Re:A MORON?????

[accelleron]

It's nice to see someone taking the other side of the situation into account, but in my area, the starving muggers trying to feed starving babies are more like addicts looking to score cash for their next fix, or idiot kids looking to get their next $300 Sean John sweatsuit to wear to school. Unfortunately, the law does not make this distinction.

Your argument is in my opinion invalid, as there are much better ways to get food for your starving baby, or your next overpriced clothing article. We are not living in an impoverished country, and jobs (not necessarily six-figure, but jobs nonetheless), government aid, and private help systems (think food drives and charity locations) are readily available.

As for having to live for a month off of soup, please spare me. If these people were willing to work and use the resources made available to me, they could eke out a decent lifestyle legally for themselves and their families. The ones that resort to crime are in desperate circumstances (which is still not an excuse) or just too lazy to do something constructive.

And a victimless crime? Hardly. How many people have theft insurance on their laptop? How many want to spend the extra cash on it? Not I, and not many people I know of.

Perhaps if muggings only happened to the upper class, I would not be so concerned. Someone that makes $5,000 in a week is not going to be troubled too much to spend $3,000 on a new set of toys. Someone who had to work all summer for that one laptop or iPod (and, in my experience, students with a passion for tech like myself are much likelier targets because we have no choice but to go through dark, poorly-policed areas to get to and from school/work.)

Granted, my perspective is biased from having been the victim of several muggings and assaults myself, but here in NYC, the most common type of mugger is in high school, listens to 50 cent, and has absolutely no legitimate means or need to dress himself in $300 sneakers to show that he is "pimp" to his classmates, which he sees about once a month in class and about thrice a day smoking weed, an activity also largely funded by this type of action.