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.

There is a shopping center in the SF Bay Area

[Anonymous Coward]

in Milpitas (McCarthy Ranch) that thieves have been targeting. They do there during lunch and right after work, and do "smah and grab" style robberies on cars. The target: laptops in bags left unattended while the victim shops. Police have had to issue special alerts to shoppers.

Put your laptop in the trunk when you leave your office, so that potential thieves don't see you place it there when you arrive at the mall.

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.

That's it?

[cdrudge]

18, 48, and 70? In San Francisco? I would have guessed that number to be several times that.

Hmm...actually, for 2004, there was nearly 5 times as many murders as there were laptop thefts. Moral of the story is that if you carry a laptop, you are 5 times less likely to be murdered!

Re:Now I understand!

[MyLongNickName]

Please note that all typoes made in the above post were due to my typing on a $100 computer. The keyboard is attrocious.

See my reasonably priced notebooks on EBay!

[InsMonkey]

Please check out my reasonably priced notebooks on EBay!