Center News
Common sense regarding crime prevention always applies, but even more so at this time of year. According to the Seattle Police Department, we are in a season when office thefts are common — a time when bands of individuals roam Seattle buildings, taking advantage of the distractions that go with the holidays. Police officers call these organized thieves "building crawlers."
In the past three weeks, there have been three reported thefts at the Center. A purse was stolen from an Arnold Building office, a wallet from a first floor Arnold Building conference room and a purse from the Sze conference room in the Thomas Building. All of these thefts occurred in unattended rooms.
The best way to avoid this is to keep your valuables in a relatively secure location. If you are going to be out of your office and do not want to take purses or wallets with you, lock them in a secure drawer of a room with limited access. This is not foolproof, but a little barrier can be enough to deter even a determined thief. When using a purse, keep the strap firmly grasped in front of you; keep wallets in front pockets, not back.
Check your area frequently; many semi-public areas are an open invitation to casual theft. If you see anyone around your area that you are not familiar with, ask him or her if help is needed. Trust your instincts and do not hesitate to call Security at (206) 667-6000 if you have a suspicion about a person you have never seen before.
