Console Thefts Up 285 Percent
The holidays are here and to celebrate the spirit of the season, the FBI [http://www.fbi.gov/] has released figures showing that videogame console thefts have jumped a whopping 285 percent over the past three years.
The pressure to come across with the goods during the holidays is enormous, but some folks just really hate shopping for presents. The compromise solution? Avoid long lines and high prices by busting into somebody's house and taking their stuff. It's not an ideal solution, no, but more and more people seem to think that the risk of going to jail is more palatable than fighting the crowds at the mall.
Game console theft has absolutely skyrocketed since 2007, according to figures recently released by the FBI, when 11,074 consoles were reported stolen. That number nearly doubled in 2008 to 21,732 and then doubled again for 2009, with 42,615 systems swiped.
"Local and state police officers routinely see a spike in these type of crimes during the holiday season," said FBI Special Agent Jason Pack. "Stolen electronics are easily sold on the street for quick cash."
Game systems are popular targets of theft in large part because they're so much smaller than other high-value items. "Criminals are rational. They steal things that have high value, are easily transportable and easily sold," noted University of Massachusetts-Lowell criminologist Larry J. Siegel. "The most expensive thing in my house is my refrigerator, but nobody is trying to steal my refrigerator."
Source: USA Today [http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2009-12-15-gadget_N.htm]
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The holidays are here and to celebrate the spirit of the season, the FBI [http://www.fbi.gov/] has released figures showing that videogame console thefts have jumped a whopping 285 percent over the past three years.
The pressure to come across with the goods during the holidays is enormous, but some folks just really hate shopping for presents. The compromise solution? Avoid long lines and high prices by busting into somebody's house and taking their stuff. It's not an ideal solution, no, but more and more people seem to think that the risk of going to jail is more palatable than fighting the crowds at the mall.
Game console theft has absolutely skyrocketed since 2007, according to figures recently released by the FBI, when 11,074 consoles were reported stolen. That number nearly doubled in 2008 to 21,732 and then doubled again for 2009, with 42,615 systems swiped.
"Local and state police officers routinely see a spike in these type of crimes during the holiday season," said FBI Special Agent Jason Pack. "Stolen electronics are easily sold on the street for quick cash."
Game systems are popular targets of theft in large part because they're so much smaller than other high-value items. "Criminals are rational. They steal things that have high value, are easily transportable and easily sold," noted University of Massachusetts-Lowell criminologist Larry J. Siegel. "The most expensive thing in my house is my refrigerator, but nobody is trying to steal my refrigerator."
Source: USA Today [http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2009-12-15-gadget_N.htm]
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