Report: Downtown Austin sees 175% rise in pickpocketing

AUSTIN, Texas — A month-to-month Austin Police Division report reveals an increase in pickpocketing citywide, with the downtown space seeing a specific uptick within the crime. 

The 175% leap in pickpocketing is attributed to the now 44 reported downtown incidents, when simply final 12 months it was 16.

With extra reside occasions taking place, attributable to much less restrictive COVID-19 protocols, the downtown space has seen greater crowds. And with  greater crowds, often there’s extra exercise.

When evaluating the citywide police report information from February 2021 to February 2022, a 269% enhance was indicated.

Whereas there’s a serious rise in pickpocketing citywide, with sure sectors seeing a bigger enhance than others, some areas have skilled decreases or no adjustments in any respect.

Listed here are different year-over-year pickpocketing statistics by sector from APD’s February 2022 police report:

• Adam: Down 20%

• Baker: Up 100%

• Charlie: No change

• David: No change  

• Edward: Down 29%

• Frank: No change

• George: Up 175%

• Henry: Up 200%

• Ida: Down 29% 

The Metropolitan Police Division in Washington provided the next ideas for stopping the crime:

FOR WOMEN

• Don’t carry your pockets in your purse. Conceal it in a buttoned or zippered pocket the place it doesn’t present a bulge.
• Use a handbag that’s troublesome to open. A handbag with a zipper or snaps is greatest.
• If you’re carrying a shoulder bag, place the strap(s) diagonally throughout your physique, versus carrying it on one shoulder. This retains the purse in entrance of you, as an alternative of at your aspect or behind you, which generally occurs with purses with lengthy straps. If you’re carrying a hand bag, then make sure that to carry it near the entrance of your physique, as an alternative of holding it in your wrist or loosely in your hand.
• By no means go away your purse unattended on a retailer counter or in a grocery buying cart.

FOR MEN

• The goal areas are again trouser pockets, and suitcoat and sports activities jacket pockets, situated each in and out. A pickpocket typically avoids entrance trouser pockets, and particularly buttoned or zippered pockets.
• If it’s a must to carry your pockets in an unbuttoned jacket, coat or pants pocket, make certain it holds solely what you may afford to lose. Maintain giant sums of cash, bank cards, IDs, in your entrance pocket or any buttoned or zippered pocket. Some individuals even place a rubber band round their pockets, as a result of the rubber band creates friction and rubs in opposition to the material of your pocket if somebody is trying to take away it with out your data. One of the best place for keys is on a series connected to your clothes.
• By no means pat your pocket to see in case your pockets is there; this lets a prison know the precise location of your valuables.
• Bigger-size “pocket secretaries” are notably inviting to pickpockets, and comparatively straightforward to steal.