Safety Tips

Pattern of Larcenies on Newbury St./Boylston St. Since July 1, 2006, forty (40) larcenies have occurred in the Newbury St./Boylston St. area of Boston Police District 4. It is important to note that in only three (3) of the incidents, the purse was physically removed from the victim.
The vast majority of the larcenies occurred after the victim set the purse down and/or left it unattended.
· 20 incidents occurred at coffee shops or restaurants
· 6 incidents occurred at a bar/nightclub
· 1 incident occurred at a store
· 13 incidents did not list the location of the incident
In almost all incidents the victim could not provide a suspect description.
The theft of purses is almost always a crime of opportunity. Your chances of this happening to you can be greatly reduced with the careful consideration of the following prevention tips:
· When in a restaurant, if you choose to your purse under your chair then put the leg of your chair through your purse strap, your purse will then be a considerably less accessible target
· Do not hang your purse on the back of a chair and out of your sight.
· Do not put your purse down on the ground and/or leave it unattended
· If you must carry a purse, carry only the items that you need and never large amounts of cash
· Always be cognizant of your surroundings and walk with confidence and purpose
· Walk in well lit areas and avoid walking close to areas which would allow a thief to hide in an entrance way or behind a parked car
· Carry your purse close to your person, preferably in front, don’t wrap your purse strap too tightly around your wrist or shoulder, you’re likely to get hurt if a thief were to grab it forcefully
If a thief approaches you, remember that it is best to just let it go. It is not worth being injured by resisting.