There's an old saying that says you can tell a lot about a woman by the contents of her purse. A woman can lose her valuables- and even her identity because of a new type of crime becoming increasingly popular at gas stations: purse-snatching. Women are most susceptible to this crime because they tend to leave their purses and wallets behind, unprotected in the front seat of their car with the windows down as they pump their gas. Purse-snatching is considered larceny-theft, which is defined as “the unlawful taking, carrying, leading or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another.” Florida Department of Law Enforcement reports that there were 433,367 total cases of larceny-theft in Florida in 2013 and 424,999 cases in 2014. On a more specific level, there were 1,470 cases of purse-snatching in 2013 and 1,349 cases in 2014. City Data reports 5,644 cases of theft per 100,000 in Madison County in 2013.
The statistics are chilling and should bring awareness to larceny-theft crimes such as purse-snatching. Most women do not think twice about leaving their purses in the car due to the fact that they are right by their cars as they pump their gas. Because of the ease-of-access of these unattended valuables, while the gas is being pumped and backs are turned, thieves aptly-named “sliders” will slide next to the vehicle in a car or on foot and grab whatever is placed in the front seat. With the victim's belongings in hand, the sliders disappear unnoticed. Police advise the public to lock their doors, roll up windows and keep their closest belongings with them as they pump gas. By carrying their purse with them or keeping the purse hidden under the passenger seat or in a compartment, women can avoid the advances of sliders.
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