Local Robbers Bank On Spacy Smart Phone Users, Oakland Police Hope to Stop Trend

Smart phones are the norm in neighborhoods like Rockridge, where you can walk down College Avenue at any time of day and spot a dozen people texting, talking and internet searching on their phones-with-a-brain.

With all that walking and talking, residents can become unaware of pending dangers. For that very reason, the Oakland Police Department launched the new safety campaign this week, “Are you smart with your smart phones?”

“In light of continuing trends of thefts and street robberies where community members are most commonly targeted for their smartphones, was designed to increase awareness – and caution – in areas where thefts and robberies most commonly occur,” said a news release by Oakland police.

The campaign started Tuesday, when Oakland Police Department Neighborhood Services Coordinators, volunteers, Safety Ambassadors, Police Services Technicians and officers to spread awareness and safety tips on-foot to over 600 citizens.

Smart phone safety tips from Oakland police:

Be Prepared

• Register your phone and other devices.
• Keep a detailed description of your devices, including serial number, make and model in a safe place for reporting purposes.
• Password protect your phone.
• Install a tracking application.

Prevention

• Don’t lend your phone to strangers.
• Avoid talking on your phone while walking down the sidewalk or sitting in your car.
• Earphones decrease your awareness of your surroundings, and may make you a target.

Report

• Call 911 or (510) 777-3211 for emergency, or (510) 777-3333 for non-emergency.

Oakland police's smart phone safety campaign will continue in the coming weeks and will be addressed by the Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council and various neighborhood watch meetings.

Are you smart -and- safe with your phone? Tell us how you stay aware while talking and texting in comments.