Posts Tagged ‘safety tips’

Court records released over the summer revealed that a number of Hollywood celebrities, including Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, and Orlando Bloom, secretly testified in the trials of the Bling Ring Burglars, a group of California teenagers, who were arrested for breaking into their – and several other celebrities’ — homes in California.

In case you missed the story, the Bling Ring Burglars, also known as the Hollywood Hills Burglars, committed a rash of burglaries between October 2008 and August 2009 and stole over $3 million dollars in jewelry, designer shoes, purses, clothing and other fashion accessories.  They even robbed some homes multiple times.

As the details from the Bling Ring’s year long Hollywood crime spree came to light over the past spring and summer, it became obvious that one victim stood out above the rest and may have earned the title of “The Most Opportune (We didn’t want to say, “easiest.”) Crime Target of All Time.”  Yes, we’re talking about Paris Hilton.

While it’s easy to criticize Paris for making pretty much every crime prevention mistake in the book, it’s probably fair to say that most of us have been guilty of committing one or all of these violations at some time or another.  Read about Paris’ mistakes below and follow the tips to avoid becoming a crime victim yourself.

Seven Ways Paris Hilton Made Herself an Ideal Crime Target for Criminals

1. She fit the profile of an easy target
   When Rachel Lee and Nick Prugo, the ring’s leaders were looking for their first victim, they asked themselves, “Who would be an easy target?  Who would be so careless as to leave so much jewelry and cash lying around that she wouldn’t miss it?”  They both agreed that Paris fit that profile to a tee.  They weren’t disappointed.

   What message do you convey to potential criminals?  If you’re scattered, disorganized, and unaware of your surroundings – even at the local grocery store – you may be sending out signals to criminals looking for an easy target.

2. She told the whole world that she wasn’t home
   Paris frequently posts updates to her 2.6 million Twitter followers, so all the burglars just had to follow her updates to find out when she wouldn’t be home.  Granted, it’s not very hard to determine the whereabouts of a public figure such as Hilton, but she certainly made it easier for them.

   Though you may not have as many followers as Paris, just keep in mind that when you write, “5 days to Vegas, Bay-beee!!!” on one of your social networking profiles, you never know who may be reading it.

3. 3. She didn’t make arrangements for when she would be gone
   This reason fits hand in hand with the previous one, but is strong enough to stand on its own.  Whether you’re broadcasting that you’re leaving town or not, make arrangements with your neighbors or a family friend to keep an eye on the house for you.  If possible, arrange for a house sitter to stay in your home while you’re away.

   The first thing that the intruders did when they arrived at Paris’ front door at 2 am, was ring the doorbell.  Had lights come on or someone been there in Paris’ absence, the kids would most likely have run away – as they did at Ashley Tisdale’s house.

   Even if you don’t publicize your comings and goings on your social networking pages, criminals can still get a pretty good idea of whether you’re home or not.  One celebrity who avoided being a victim was Disney star Ashley Tisdale.  The gang set out to burglarize her house, but were scared away by a friend of Ashley’s who was house-sitting in her absence.

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