Thefts increase during holiday season

It's that time of year where surprises are expected - but someone stealing your iPhone off your desk at work is not the kind of surprise you're liable to be too jazzed by.

Police departments and HR offices across the country note an increase in stolen cars, break-ins and petty thefts during the later months of the year. Case in point: just today someone managed to walk out of my office w/ a DESKTOP computer, as well as the monitor, mouse and keyboard. He must have been really motivated to work from home, because aside from making it past the locked entrance to our suite, he also managed to avoid detection by the real employees at 9 in the morning (I knew there was a really practical reason for being late)! It took us a couple more hours to realize the desk chair was also missing from the cubicle - so he was able to wheel the whole damn thing out, right under our noses. Like I said, I guess the guy really wanted to set up a home office.

Bottom line, this holiday season, keep your eye on your personal items, like purses, briefcases, wallets, phones and iPods/iPads/Kindles. Not just in the grocery store and on the train - but also at your desk at work. Always lock your doors - at home and in the car. Enable any security devices, if you own them. Have a friend you trust come and "House-sit" at random times of day if you plan to be out of town for an extended period of time. Another stat police & other experts tout at this time of year is that people who otherwise would not steal are more likely to do so. Please be careful with your stuff! As someone who's already had to replace a stolen iPod once, I know I will try my best to do so myself. TTFN.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry