Avoidable crime in Houston – Avoid being victimized!

Scanning the local news this morning, there are (at least) two stories involving people victimized when vehicles were burglarized to the tune of thousands of dollars worth of things.

Here on Reddit, someone's trying to get back a phone they put down and forgot about.

People are being followed home from banks and businesses and having their homes invaded.

It is time to start making it difficult for thieves & robbers!

1) NEVER leave anything of value in a parked vehicle. Unless it's parked inside a locked garage, you just can't. This includes trailers full of band equipment, Scouting troops equipment, etc.

2) Be aware of your environment. Look around when you're leaving a bank or if you're taking a deposit from your business to the bank. If you're in doubt, drive to the nearest police station.

3) Know that there are more thieves, robbers and scammers in Houston today than ever before, and they're about as desperate as people can get. They'll risk jail or prison to take something they can use to make money.

4) Get serial numbers of any expensive items you own, and take photos of them, too. Even if your home is protected by an alarm system and cameras, know that they can be defeated and having serial numbers helps get stuff back if someone pawns them or if a thief gets caught with your stuff.

5) Be responsible with your valuables. We'll see countless news stories on a daily basis involving stolen back packs, purses, laptops, etc.

6) Look out for people you know who might be vulnerable. Warn your grandparents about scams. Tell your teen that's a new driver that he/she can't leave anything in their vehicle and they need to be aware of their environment.

Wouldn't it be nice to go for a week or two without seeing a news story about someone losing thousands of dollars worth of things to a thief or thieves, where the victim just made it ridiculously easy for the criminals?