Parla la detective privata: il furto è il tipico reato in crescita nei paesi industrializzati Thief, job of the future Miriam Tomponzi: here are some rules to protect yourselves Ten rules to leave without worries: the idea is nothing new, of course, but it's an unusual one for a "private eye". Miriam Tomponzi, Tom's daughter and owner of one among the most known investigation agencies in Italy, is not only concerned with industrial espionage, swindles and countless cases of conjugal unfaithfulness. "In the past few years, more and more people have asked us advices about how to defend themselves" explains the dark-haired, sinuous detective, who would certainly cut a fine figure in a TV serial like Charlie's Angel. "On the other hand, theft is the crime of the future. It is a typical feature of all developed countries. That's why we recently started a joint venture with a Japanese firm that produces burglar alarms and top-quality anti-intrusion devices". How to avoid undesirable "visits"? "A strategy should be planned for each case. A watch-dog or an armoured door may sometimes suffice, but more often a real anti-theft strategy may be required. Inexpensive, maybe obvious but effective contrivances are available". Are Romans distrustful or happy-go-lucky persons? "Well, they still tend to be careless. For example, people who live near a police station feel secure, while there is no real reason for doing so. Generally, people only take measures after experiencing the first theft". Do crime groups have any new tactics? "Yes, notably as regards robberies on elderly persons living on their own, who are the chosen victims in summer. Methods to make people open their doors arrive from Brazil". For example? The most typical one consists of lighting a small fire on the stair-well and then shout "Fire!" The old person goes out and gets robbed. A less harmful system consists of throwing buckets full of water under the door: very few resist the temptation to open." Which is better: the home safe or the safe custody? "Personally, I don't favour home safes. They often provide a bait for thieves, that are well-informed and suppose that in that house there is quite a lot to steal. I prefer leaving one million in cash in a drawer. This way, at the worst, thieves are satisfied with that money, instead of taking everything away (that is 7-8 million worth of stolen goods). I've learned of a robbery made in a strong-room short ago, but statistically, safe custody provides a high degree of safeguard".. Author: m.l. The rules Have an armoured door installed In 80 per cent of cases, protecting an apartment only requires a standard armoured door (around a 2 million expense and one day to have it installed) Excellent ready-to-use alarms "Ready -to-use" alarms are very good. All is needed to operate them is a power socket (2.5 million). Among other things, they allow to isolate the most sought-after rooms An anti-climbing super-lamp When possible, it's advisable to install a very powerful, hardly reachable lamp to illuminate the building's entrance hall or easy-to-climb balconies at night. Apartment thieves detest light A closed-circuit telecamera in the office Closed-circuit telecameras are absolutely necessary in offices (the complete system costs few thousands of hundreds of lire) in order to detect people at the front door. An excellent anti-robbery system Remote-controlled locks In offices, again, it is advisable to use automatic remote-controlled locks. Most aggressions occur as soon as the door has been opened. Keep a cellular phone at hand to call for help Fast and cautious at cash-machines Exercise prudence at cash-machines: make sure that nobody is by your side when you draw cash. Be as fast as you can. Put the money into a pocket: you'll put it into the wallet later Cash-machines/ 2 As regards cash-machines, again: should the machine fail, beware of whoever offers to help and go away soon. Swindlers often sabotage machines Never lose sight of your credit card Do not leave your credit card unattended when you pay the bill, even at the restaurant or in a hotel. Acting distrustfully is better than risking "cloning" If you are on a train seal the door When traveling by train, fit some adhesive tape all along the glass-door cracks: you'll avoid being narcotized by an aerosol bomb. Last year, whole parties were robbed this way When traveling by car, be prudent at petrol stations Exercise extreme prudence, whether by day or by night, when stopping at petrol stations. These are the most favorite places for thieves, rapists and robbers. Don't leave children in the car too long.