Re: [Paddlewise] locking up boats

With 29 years in law-enforcement I know many, many thieves.  As they
progress in their careers they tend to specialize.  Shop lifting, house
burglaries, cars, copper wire, maybe boats.  Given that, I still agree that
the thefts are "opportunistic".  The thief Matt spoke of was a specialist,
but he identified his targets ahead of time in an opportunistic fashion.
First, he found one easy to steal, then he arranged the sale prior to the
theft.  Well thought out, yes, mission impossible, no.  "Easy to steal"
meant unattended and unobserved for predictably long lengths of time.  I've
known folks that have done the same thing with carpet from model homes.

The trick is to make your property less easy to steal than the next
person's.  Any lock is better than no lock.  I recently went on a day-paddle
with a large group.  About a dozen of us stopped for dinner that evening on
the way home.  I was the only person who locked a boat up with a simple
bicycle cable lock.  None were stolen, but if one had been, it would not
have been mine.  Store it where you will see it frequently.  I can't count
the number of victims I've talked to who were unable pin down the time of
loss to less than a few days or even weeks.  The thief knew nobody would be
checking on the property often.  My favorite is a police officer who stored
his garden shredder out of sight behind the garage, used it a few times a
year and had no idea when it was taken.

That does not mean one should arrange things so it's more likely their
paddle partner gets their boat stolen.  Understand the thief.  He is a lazy,
opportunistic creature of darkness.  If all kayaks are locked and frequently
observed, he will move to skis, bicycles or personal water craft.  So lock
your kayak as well as you can, keep an eye on it, and let them go after jet
skis.

Paddle lots
Bob
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