You could be a victim of crime on public transport so it is always important to know some simple, tips you can take to make sure you stay safe:

On the bus

- use a bus stop you know, or one that appears busy and well lit
- if you’re going to an unfamiliar place, have friends meet you at your destination
- sit close to the driver

On the train

- wait on a well lit section of platform, near other people
- sit in a busy compartment at the front of the train
- if you feel uncomfortable, consider getting out of your carriage and into another, or even
getting off the train altogether

On the tube

- sit in a carriage near the front of the train
- if anybody makes you feel uncomfortable, get off and wait for the next tube
- late at night, have friends or family meet you at your destination station

Taking a taxi

- as often as possible, use a taxi company you know, or one recommended by family or friends
- if you have booked a taxi over the phone, make sure the driver knows your name and
destination, in order to ensure it’s the correct taxi
- have your money and keys ready so that you can get into your home quickly at the end of
your journey
- if you feel uncomfortable in a taxi, ask the driver to stop in a busy familiar place and get out
of the car

Nowadays, anyone of us could be a victim of crime. You can’t stop a criminal from being a criminal instead, you will have to stop him from choosing you as a victim. Personal safety can be viewed as a pyramid. Each level not only increases your safety, but builds upon the level under it to create a cohesive and consistent whole. This way you have a solid structure, rather than a patchwork of “do this for this situation and that for another” answers for personal safety. Such a fragmented approach requires excessive work, inconvenience and, often, drastically altering your lifestyle. What’s worse is it still leaves opportunities and openings for you to be attacked. This pyramid is designed to work with your lifestyle, not change it.

Start from the bottom and work your way up. Each level takes you higher and keeps you safer. It does this by creating a consistent network that works simultaneously on several fronts. What will stop a burglar will also foil a stalker or a break-in rapist. What works to stop a mugger will also foil a serial rapist or carjacker. This consistency closes the gaps left by a fragmented approach gaps that crime and violence come through to enter your life.

The foundation that the pyramid stands upon is knowledge and understanding. This means knowing how the criminal and violent people think and what they need to succeed . Without this fundamental understanding, there can be no cohesiveness in what you do to protect yourself as well as your property.

Walk-aways are things that you do once and just walk away from. These are security measures that, once in place, serve as both deterrents and safeguards. Generally, these are things you can do around your home or business to discourage and foil break-ins. It does not only keep your home safe from burglary when you are not there, but serve as an early warning system against break-in when you are home. This becomes a critical element if you are in a stalker situation as home security walk-aways are your first line of defense.

Habits are those repetitive actions taken daily to ensure your safety. They are simple acts you train yourself to do that significantly decrease the chances of a criminal choosing you, or your property, as his target. They can range from remembering to enable your “walk-away” security measures (i.e. locking doors, windows and closing your drapes when you leave), never leaving your car running and unattended, to not leaving valuables in plain sight, to looking around when you enter a fringe area or before you reach your car Such habits are not difficult to ingrain and within a week or two become automatic.

Awareness is born of a blend of habits and knowledge. One part would be knowing where a mugger would lurk in a parking garage in order not to be seen by security personnel or potential victims. Having the habit of looking around and seeing if anyone is loitering in that spot when you enter the parking structure is the other. If you see known danger signs, turn around and go back, don’t walk into the lion’s jaws.

Maneuvering and positioning are knowing where you don’t want to be. There are positions from where an assailant can (and probably will) successfully attack you. If he (and his cohorts) can achieve these positions, your chances of effectively defending yourself are slim to none. And Slim left town. The violence will be swift, intense and aimed at your weak spots. Unless you are willing to commit extreme physical violence in self-defense do not allow this situation to develop. Positioning is a strategy game. It is the criminal trying to put you where he wants you and you moving so he can’t.

Knowledge of self-worth and boundaries is essential to not becoming the victim of crime and violence. Even if you have decided that you are not willing to use physical violence to defend yourself, until this point the pyramid still works. It is now however, important to realize that no matter what your decision about using physical self-defense to protect yourself that you have come to a crossroads. Aside from the obvious implications, when we use the terms knowledge of self-worth and boundaries, we also are including knowing how you think and how you are coming across.

Verbal boundary enforcement is communication. It is letting a would-be assailant know that you are aware of what is occurring and that you are committed to doing whatever it takes to protect yourself.

Physical self-defense is the last ditch effort. If it gets to this point through all the other levels, it has been forced here. You are justified to do what it takes to stop him. While some people choose not to participate in violence in order to defend themselves, others have no such qualms. Either choice carries responsibilities.

Source: Pyramid of Personal Safety

Jacob de Gheyn III, also known as Jacob III de Gheyn, is a 1632 oil painting by Rembrandt. It measures only 29.9 by 24.9 centimetres (11.8 by 9.8 inches), which is one of the factors that made it the most stolen painting.

The painting has been nicknamed the “takeaway Rembrandt,” as it has been stolen four times since 1966.

Art theft is the theft of high-profile art. The thief’s aim is usually that of a resale or a ransom to earn from the crime. There are also times when thieves are commissioned by private collectors to steal a certain art. Stolen art can also be used among the criminals in the underground banking system as collateral or a barter item for drug or weapons deals.

Paintings are the most widely stolen form of art. Famous paintings like the Mona Lisa, LAst Judgment, Ghent Altarpiece, and Jacob de Gheyn III.

Data theft is a thorn for every company that uses modern technology like computers and hand-held devices for storing digital information and important company matters. There is always the risk that company data can be misused.

Companies and organizations now have firewalls and intrusion-detection systems, there is still the possibility of an employee copying, deleting, or abusing propriety data for personal gain or use by another company.

Motor vehicle theft, or grand auto theft, is the stealing of automobiles, buses, motorcycles, snowmobiles, trucks, trailers, or any other motorized vehicle legally allowed on public roads and highways. Not included in the category is the stealing of aircraft, boats, motorized wheelchairs, bulldozers, and spacecraft.

Theft of services is a legal term for a crime wherein a person obtains valuable services y deception, force, threat, or other unlawful means. This offense may also cover some types of fraud in which payment is made on credit under an assumed identity and ultimately disavowed, or simply identity theft.

Theft of services should not be confused with reasonable rejection. For example, a customer is not satisfied with the services provided, and so refuses to pay. This is not considered a theft of services.

Street sign theft is when street signs are stolen (which are often to be used as decorations). Although not so common, unusual and amusing signs tend to be stolen more and more frequently. It may seem harmless to the general public, but the theft of street signs is often costly and inconveniencing for the municipality pr agency who owns the sign.

Laptop theft has become a serious threat to users of mobile computers, especially when they have important data stored in their laptop. Thieves can have access to sensitive data and personal information, especially without proper security precautions programmed in the laptop.

To help prevent laptop theft (and data theft), there is the Remote Laptop Security option (RLS). With RLS, the owner of the laptop can deny access rights to the stolen laptop from any computer with Internet access. Encrypting the laptop’s internal hard drive also prevents thieves from accessing data if they do steal the laptop.

Shows you how to create a home security system on a shoe-string budget.

Your Home should be a safe place for you and your family. So, you must learn how to protect it from burglars through these simple steps:

1. Blend in. Conform to your neighborhood’s house and landscaping profile. Looking like the most expensive and elaborately designed home will call attention to burglars.

2. Put up visible deterrents. Post warning signs like “Beware of Dog” or “This Property Protected by XYZ Security System.” Install storm windows that are double-paned and difficult to break. Place lights, preferably motion-sensor types, in strategic corners around the house.

3. Get an alarm system. The monthly subscription is well worth the peace of mind.

4. Install sturdy locks and deadbolts, and use them. Remember to check if all the doors and windows are secure and properly locked. Pay close attention to bathroom windows, backdoors, cellar doors and garage access doors.

5. Use automatic timers to turn lights and radios on and off when you’re not home. This gives the impression that someone is home and deters intruders from breaking in.

6. Draw curtains, blinds or shades at nightfall; when it’s dark outside and the indoor lights are on, passersby (and thieves) can see inside and notice your expensive items and possessions.

Tips & Warnings
* Replace hollow doors with solid wood or reinforced steel, and install professional-grade door locks and deadbolts. Make your doors the toughest ones to kick in.

* Install several automatic timers in different rooms set at different hours to simulate the times you turn your lights on and off during the night. You can use them even when you’re at home.

Source: eHow Expert

Theft is a common law offense. But as punishments vary accordingly with the value of the good/s stolen, the location, and the manner of the theft, different kinds of theft were distinguished from one another.

Animal theft refers to the theft of domestic animals which were confined as private property. Mostly, the animals pertained to are sheep, cattle, horses, and fowl. Horse theft was considered to be the most serious of animal thefts.

Burglary involves breaking into a house to steal valuables. Also included in this category are breaking and stealing from building establishments, warehouses, and other buildings that are in use. Burglary occurs not only at night, but at any time of the day too.

This is a theft that involves a clerk, servant, or employee stealing goods that belong to the employer or the company. It is usually money or cash that is embezzled. Some cases of embezzlement are referred to as petty or grand larceny, depending on the amount of goods stolen.

Extortion and blackmail pertain to a case where money or benefits are obtained through the use of threats. This crime is particularly associated with embarrassing crimes such as adultery or sodomy.

If you are not specifically qualified to legally hunt game, then you are committing a crime, even if it’s hunting on your own land. This offense is rare in the US. It is mostly in England that hunting and game law offenses are common.

Pickpocketing is very common in many countries, including the US. Thieves can be quick and smooth enough to nip your wallet while you are walking in a crowded area.

This theft occurs specifically in a shop and the person who took the goods did not pay for them. This is also one of the most common thefts in many countries.