Marc Choquette
Staff Writer
The very device that has become a symbol of American life, enough to name a generation, has become is an increasing target among thieves. The device referred to is, of course, the iPod.
According to the Los Angeles Times, theft of iPods and similar devices has jumped 34 percent across the Southland, with nearly 2,000 reported cases this year. Even the low-crime areas of Malibu and Pepperdine cannot escape this new trend.
The reasons behind the rise in theft are simple. In the case of the iPod, the trademark white headphones immediately scream out to many thieves of a next easy target. The iPod’s small, sleek size make it easily portable yet easy for thieves to grab and run. Also, the musical submersion that users of the iPod and similar devices enjoy can often be a theft-prevention downfall, in that thieves sneaking up on them go unheard.
The value (iPods run anywhere from $80-$350), high demand and the relative easiness of theft makes this new technology a growing target, mostly among 18-25 year olds.
This “grab and dash” approach is how cellphones and portable music players are usually taken in public places. Thieves approach the user, grab the device and even pull the headphones right off the users’ ears, and off they go, realizing most people will not fight or chase after them to get the device back.
At Pepperdine and in many other situations, the “smash and grab” approach is more often set aside for the inconspicuous task of grabbing the desired device when it is left unattended.
Pepperdine sophomore Haley Wilson recently left her iPod on a flight, forgetting she had left it in the seatback pocket in front of her while stowing it for landing.
“The iPod even had my name and contact information engraved on the back, but it still was not returned,” lamented Wilson. “It was just a horrible feeling to realize that all the money I had saved up to get an iPod was gone in a matter of minutes.”
Junior Jordan Homan’s laptop and iPod were taken off-campus when someone saw them in his car and went for it.
“They just broke in, grabbed the goods and took off,” said Homan.
Public Safety reports in the Graphic are often littered with cases of petty theft, which is easily the biggest security problem on campus. In one recent instance, the thief went so far as to break into a car to steal a laptop computer.
Thieves at Pepperdine operate on more discreet levels, however. The library and the dorms are the most popular destinations for robberies, because they are places where many students leave items unattended or leave doors unlocked. These missteps give a window for thieves to operate and succeed.
An example like that provides an easy answer to preventing such theft. Simply, keeping close tabs on expensive belongings goes a long way in avoiding a report with Public Safety.
Users in bigger cities where public transportation, and subsequent theft, is more prevalent have found ways to disguise the use of the devices, such as buying non-white headphones or hiding them in concealed pockets.
Others use more drastic measures, such as locking computers to the desks, as Pepperdine does with their public computers. This seems to be the one antidote for leaving items unattended, besides the other option offered: leaving expensive items such as iPods in the dorm or at home.
Lastly, many iPod users who work out have straps that attach the iPod firmly to their arm. This has proved helpful for even those who stay away from the gym. The tight fit around the arm makes it a lot more difficult for “iPod muggers” to operate.
These methods will have to do, at least in the case of the iPod, until Apple develops some type of internal theft deterrent. Apple probably will not rush to figure out this dilemma, however, because more stolen iPods means more people buying 2nd and 3rd iPods, further increasing iPod sales.
A lot of college students might not look like thieves, but judging a book by its cover is another task people are taught to avoid. An attractive grab, like an iPod, can provide an attractive array of thieves and motives.
With such outlets as E-Bay and the black market providing a quick way to make money from obtaining such devices, others simply make a grab because they would like to have one for themselves.
Such easy, inexpensive and practical prevention methods can help avoid, as Wilson described it, the all-too-familiar “sinking feeling” when it becomes apparent that an iPod or laptop, and the considerable amount of money that paid for it, was gone for good.
FACTBOX
Over 40 million iPods have been sold across the world.
In Los Angeles, theft of iPods and similar devices is up 34%, with 1,700 cases reported in the last year.
Easy ways to prevent theft include concealing the device within one’s clothing, avoiding leaving items unattended, using different headphones, or simply keeping them at home or in the dorm.
12-06-2006