Cop's Corner Published Nov. 7, 2008 AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy -- Oct. 27: An active duty military member reported that someone had shattered their front passenger side window and scratches were on the rear driver's side fender. They added that a laptop computer was taken from their vehicle. This is an example of what a simple smash and grab is. When valuable items such as a laptop computer are left in plain view, there is a good chance that it will be stolen. An incident like this one costs the victim a lot of money in damages. This active duty military member must now pay for the loss of the computer as well as the cost to replace the missing window of their vehicle. To avoid this incident from happening to you, secure valuable items such as laptops, GPS systems or other small electronic devices out of plain view from the public eye. +An active duty military member reported they lost their military identification card at the main installation gate. The active duty military member contacted the posted sentry at the main installation gate and was unable to recover the missing card. The military identification card is one of the most important documents that we carry in our wallets or purses on a daily basis. It is our responsibility to account for our identification card at all times. +An active duty military member reported that someone stole their black duffel bag. The active duty military member stated that while on the train traveling from Florence to Venice, an older male bumped into their mother and took the gym bag while members of the family were distracted. The black duffel bag contained work out clothes, running shoes, an Mp3 player and a heart rate monitor. Crimes against tourist are very common in places where tourist frequent such as train stations, bus stations, or even the tourist "hot spot" itself. It is important to be very alert and mindful of your surroundings especially if you are in an unfamiliar area. Most offenders who prey on tourist will try to bump into you or distract your attention so that they can steal a purse or wallet or any other valuable property that you may have while you are traveling. Oct. 29: An active duty military member reported someone broke into their rental car while it was parked at the Milan airport and stole their Basic Military Training orders, BMT Graduation certificate, technical school graduation certificate, birth certificate and marriage certificate. The active duty military member was unable to recover the missing items. Although some of these items do not have a monetary value, they are still considered very valuable. Oct. 30: An active duty military member reported to the Police Services desk that someone stole their checkbook out of her luggage. The active duty military member further stated that an unauthorized check was written for the amount of $2500. They last saw their luggage with the checkbook in it on Oct. 17 and did not receive their luggage until Oct. 23. This incident could have been avoided if the active duty military member had placed the check book in a personal bag that remained with them the entire time. Luggage can come up missing at any time while we travel. That is why it is important to keep all of our important property with us at all times when we travel. Aviano All-Star Award: This week's Aviano All-Star Award goes to the active duty military member who had their car burglarized. If this active duty military member had removed the laptop from the vehicle or simply removed it from plain view, this crime could have been prevented. Incidents such as this should remind all of us to secure our vehicles in a way that eliminates the criminal element. When we park our vehicles we should check to make sure that all doors are locked and the windows are rolled up. Also before exiting the vehicle, take a quick glance inside to see if there is anything valuable left in plain view to possible offenders. Taking this quick minute to secure our vehicles properly could save us hours in the long run. Crime Prevention Tip of the Week: Last week in Tamaroa, Ill, a 22-month-old toddler and a 3-year-old child were pronounced dead after they became trapped inside of their vehicle. The children's mother told police that she left her pickup truck to retrieve mail when the vehicle shifted into drive and rolled into a pond and sank. This unfortunate incident should be a reminder to all of us not to leave our little ones unattended at any time.