UltraJam: Don't Be a Target

After analyzing robberies for years at work, it's become habit to take precautions that make me a harder target. Are you aware of small changes you can make to encourage thieves to pick on someone else? Let me explain. Cell phone snatches are about to overtake your age-old purse snatch nationwide. With all those sexy models out there and plenty of ways around activating a stolen phone, cells are robbery magnets.

Try to avoid talking and walking down the sidewalk or in parking lots. Wait until you're stationary and around groups of people.

I know, the point of a cell is the convenience of the walk and talk. However, you're distracted by your conversation and may not realize someone's about to run up on you from behind, grab the phone out of your hand and bolt. That's the M.O. for most cell snatches. If possible, make your calls while still sitting in your car with the doors locked. Or wait until you're among more people than on a neighborhood sidewalk, like at a mall.

Don't get a false sense of security if you don't see anyone else on the street around you. Thieves often work in teams and chirp each other about approaching victims.

Suspect 1 might be at the window in his apartment watching for people on cells to approach the corner. He sees you and chirps his buddy waiting on a porch around the corner you'll soon pass. Before you know it...Snatch! Your phone and the suspect are running out of sight. You're left dumbfounded without any description at all because it happened so fast.

In my city, Sidekick phones are the most desirable to steal because of the cool features. They're also easy to spot from a distance because of the two-thumbed texting the keyboard allows. It's an extra charge to get the Web access, but Sidekicks are the only phone that uploads data daily to the T-Mobile server. So, any texting, photos, calls, etc., the suspects make with your stolen phone will be stored on the Web for you to print out and take to detectives. Or be sure to tell detectives what your code is so they can access the web content. Suspects won't have your web log-on code to delete the content. However, if you sign up for access after the phone was stolen, the log-on info will be automatically sent to your stolen phone, so not a good idea.

Be wary of anyone who approaches and asks for something while you're on your cell.

Common sense tells you something's up with people who are going to interrupt a stranger on the phone. Suspects often ask for the time, change, cigarettes or directions while they're catching you off guard and sizing up your phone model. These thieves often approach on bikes. As you're distracted by their question, your phone's snatched and away they go.

Remember, it's us against them. They have their tricks and plays. You should have yours, too.