You’ve seen the steady stream of reports of thefts from health club lockers, especially at Planet Fitness, in Heather Quinlan’s weekly 84th Precinct Police Blotter. Deputy Inspector Mark DiPaolo, Commander of the 84th, has taken note of the problem, and offers this sage advice:
As part of our community alert Email System , the 84th precinct likes to keep our community aware of the types of crimes that are prevalent in our community as well as the New York City as a whole. Unfortunately some of the criminals in our city seem to like utilize the privacy(no video cameras) of gym/spa locker rooms to their advantage.
There have been scenerios where combination locks have been cut and removed or hacked open with no damage to combination lock.Sometimes all property removed and others maybe just a credit card removed giving the thief time to utilize the card until its discovery. As technology advances so does information via the internet making these crimes easy enough for common criminals.So in an effort to educate Our community to become more proactive against these crimes below are some listed preventive tips;
Never leave your property UNATTENDED on gym equipment or unlocked gym locker,even for a moment.
DO not carry high value portable items such as credit cards, jewelry,cell phones,etc.to gym whenever possible. Leave it safe and secure locked up at home or your workplace.
When Unavoidable, ask gym personnel if they have private mini lockers that are usually placed by membership counter under constant video surveillance.
If not available make the recommendation to health club manager or call their corporate telephone number to have them installed.
Try and Utilize a high quality Keyed lock & put key on a chain around ur neck. Combination locks seem to be more easily hacked open.
Whenever you see someone acting suspicious in locker room, bring it to the attention of health club staff/manager. Do not ignore it, security is everyones responsibility. Note physical characteristics,clothing descriptions,and manerisms of suspicious persons.
Try not to bring your bicycle to gyms and lock it outside. Theives know that usually when you enter the gym they will have sufficient amount of time to attempt to steal your bicycle.
Always double check that your locker is properly secured, before walking away.
Never leave locker open or unnattended while taking shower or using the restroom.
Be wary of health clubs that do not check membership/guest identification regularly as they enter health club.
Always report stolen property to health club staff and the police immediately. If property contained credit cards have them cancelled as soon as possible and notify credit agencies listed below to minimize Identity theft.
Equifax www.equifax.com 1-800-685-1111
Experian www.experian.com 1-888-397-3742
Trans-union www.tuc.com 1-800-916-8800As the Police Dept.does a better job of making health clubs safer, members of our community are reminded that gym lockers are not intended to secure high value items.Please be proactive in taking steps to protect yourself from becoming a victim.
If you would like to receive 84th Precinct E-Mail Alerts, please call the 84th Precinct’s Crime Prevention Officer, P.O. John Kenny, at (718) 875-6363, and give him your e-mail address.
