'Common Mistakes' Led to TV, GPS Thefts in Fayetteville

Fayetteville, N.C. — Since Jan. 1, Fayetteville police officers have taken reports for 39 stolen flat screen or plasma televisions taken during home break-ins and 44 portable GPS Navigation Systems stolen during motor vehicle break-ins.

“Common mistakes made (by) citizens include leaving the box for the flat screen and plasma televisions by the curb after purchasing the device,” police said in a news release Tuesday. “This is an advertisement to thieves that a new, expensive television is now in the home. Citizens should break down the box and place it in a dark trash bag before putting it by the curb for trash pick up.”

Citizens are also leaving their portable GPS systems visible in their car while it is unoccupied, police said.

“This is a very tempting and easy target for thieves. Drivers should remove the GPS system from the dash and take it in their home with them at night and conceal it in the car when it is not occupied during the day.”

Detectives encourage citizens to record the serial numbers of all electronic devices in their home and vehicles. Having the serial numbers allows detectives to track down stolen property and return it to the owner.

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This piece is bogus on two counts, One-it insults/blames the victims. Two-do we really think the serial #'s will actually lead to any propert being tracked down and returned? How often does this happen?

scorekeep
March 11, 2008 1:36 p.m.

You are supposed to recycle cardboard - by throwing it away you are breaking another law.

Typical "blame the victim" rhetoric. Get a gun, kill the perp trying to take the television. Do the work that the police are unwilling or unable to do.

Smiling Jack 84
March 11, 2008 1:25 p.m.

Uh, isn't this big box along the road a hint for the police also. Like, watch this house for a few days, patrol this area for a change! be proactive instead of reactive (report takers not patrolmen) where are these big screen tv etc going?? someone is buying them up, com'n detectives don't be defectives.

alleycat
March 11, 2008 12:00 p.m.

I agree that it does seem that the victims always get blamed for the problems. Criminals need harsher sentences to deter them from even thinking about doing wrong. Why should we spent out hard earned money on something to have it stolen by a criminal? The justice sytem needs to be changed to favor the victims.

cuteboyd
March 11, 2008 11:17 a.m.

Don't leave bigscreen TV boxes by the road? Are you kidding? The people doing this are the same ones that hang CDs from their car's rearview when they get that Citibank credit card and put a CD player in the car...Look at me, I have a CD player...Putting the HDTV box out with the trash is the same lame cry for attention in most cases; Look at me, I have HDTV! Let them put the boxes out by the road, then have their TVs stolen - maybe then they'll learn. Vanity is one of the 7 deadly sins after all.

And this isn't blaming the victim, and it is not new. For decades it is a known fact that a lot of people that recently move, get broken into: their "neighbors" all saw their goods going into the new house...and someone later acted on the information. Don't get me started on people who have deaths in the family and how often their homes are broken into when they are at the graveside service. With that sort of historical information, the victims should know better in the first place.

simracer68
March 11, 2008 11:03 a.m.