Lock Down Your Laptops

We love our coffee shops.

So does a thief, apparently. The Journal-Constitution's Ty Tagami reports a thief went to coffee in Inman Park Thursday, snatched a MacBook laptop from a nursing student as she was typing and ran across Highland Avenue into a waiting car.

The victim told the newspaper she didn't think crime would happen there and that she often left her computer unattended while going to the restroom.

It's probably not a smart idea to that, but it's a common sight at different coffee shops in East Atlanta Patch. (Not wanting to lose one's seat at the oft-crowded java houses is a likely reason.)

For that matter, in our travels to different coffee shops in the neighborhoods that comprise East Atlanta Patch, we've seen people leave wallets, purses and laptops (in one case, open to a porno movie playing onscreen) on tables or chairs, while their owners went outside for a phone call or quick smoke.

Police will tell you crime can happen anywhere so to think it "can't happen here" is a mistake. Still, the coffee shop was apparently crowded, making the theft all the more brazen.

While we're on the subject of brazen thefts, many of us will be going to the Braves' home opening games this week end (we won't be, we're Yankees fans). Capt. B. G. Cavender, acting commander for Zone 3 is reminding us not to leave things of value in our vehicles: Mobile phones, laptops, tablets, purses and GPS devices.