This type of crime has twice come to my direct knowledge in the past two weeks. Both incidents occurred in parking lots at Recreation and Parks parking lots. The first purse theft occurred at Centennial Park with a purse of a relative taken from her parked car which unfortunately had a window left half open. The second occurred last week in the parking lot at Cedar Lane Park. I was umpiring a softball game when a car alarm went off. A player went out to check on the car alarm and found her passenger side window smashed and her purse stolen out of the car.
Purse thieves know that they can find purses left in the parking lots of our County athletic fields by female players. They apparently troll these parking lots looking for visible purses left in cars. This type of crime also is common with vehicles parked at our athletic clubs. A word of caution to all women to not leave purses visible in cars anytime. Also put your purse in the trunk before you leave home. Putting the purse in the trunk once you arrive at the parking lot makes it too easy for thieves watching at the parking lot.
P.S.
Speaking of being careful in our parks some information came to me yesterday that I want to share. We have all seen the signs in our County parks that say, "When thunder roars, go indoors." Well on Tuesday that caution became real. The light pole on the first base side of Cedar Lane Field 1 was hit by lightening. The scary part was that even though thunder had been heard nothing of the storm to be in close proximity to the field before the lightning struck. With thunderstorms common this time of year it is a reminder of their danger.
P.S.1
From HoCo Library:
"Tonight! The History of the Universe from the Beginning to End. Nobel Laureate, Dr. John C. Mather, Senior Astrophysicist in the Observational Cosmology Laboratory at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, and author of The Very First Light: The True Inside Story of the Scientific Journey Back to the Dawn of the Universe. 05/30/13. 7:00 PM Miller Branch. http://bit.ly/12aeSfU "
Purse snatchings and thefts from cars are great training for criminals with aspirations for bigger capers. When I lived just across from the ball fields on Southern Star Terrace there wasn't a single theft or break-in during the four years I was there. It seemed most of those crimes occurred at the apartment complex further down on Rivendell. Criminals love to invade any area where the pickings are easy and the chances of being caught are very low. Unless the public retaliates with more/better security, education on how to prevent/minimize thefts, harsher penalties for the offenders who do get caught, these instances will only increase.
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