Los Angeles Police say the crown jewel of the city’s library system recently earned a dubious distinction: It had more thefts last year of personal property — excluding shoplifting — than any location in the downtown area.
LAPD Lt. Paul Vernon said there were 31 theft reports filed in 2008, including wallets and purses, followed bicycles, laptops and other electronic equipment. This year, there have been eight reported thefts — four for bicycles versus three bikes for the entirety of 2008 — on pace to surpass last year’s total.
However
How many of those bikes were locked up? Every time I wander out to a bike rack at this library or at any other, there are a slew of bikes just sitting on the rack. No lock. No chain. Nothing.
If one doesn’t want something stolen from a public place, perhaps one shouldn’t leave it lying around a public place totally unguarded and unwatched?
Just a thought.
Some books contain the machinery required to create and sustain universes. Tycho (Jerry Holkins) @ Penny Arcade
only 31 police reports?
.. well, I guess that’s high since our patrons regularly lose bikes, phones, purses, and they rarely file reports. if a wallet is lost, they might file a report, but we’ve had a dozen or more phones taken and a half dozen bikes and I don’t think anyone has ever filed for those items.
noooooooo, police reports is
noooooooo, police reports is exact record of crimes!
Clearly not true unless you’re using a tricky definition
That statement can only be true if it’s circular–that is, if “crimes” is defined as “things for which police reports are made.”
It’s generally conceded that most rapes are never reported–does that make them not crimes?
I’d certainly believe that most petty thefts are never reported to the police. Using most definitions, that doesn’t make them not-crimes.