SAVANNAH, GA (March 18, 2016): Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department’s Robbery Unit is investigating at least two reports of cell phones being stolen in the downtown festival area, Thursday evening.
At approximately 6:30 p.m., two tourists were dancing in front of Wild Wings Café in City Market when two unknown males approached them attempting to dance along with them. When the two stopped dancing, the victims noticed their cell phones missing from their back pockets. The suspects are described as being black males in their mid-teens and approximately 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall. One of the suspects wore a light blue shirt and the other wore a black shirt with a purple flower on it during the incident.
Just before 10 p.m., another victim was reportedly dancing with an unknown male near the Bud Light stage when her phone was stolen from her pocket. The suspect is described as a black male of a light complexion, possibly in his 20s. He wore a black hooded sweat shirt during the incident.
Metro urges tourists to keep items of value close and to make note of the following tips:
- Awareness is the best protection. Be aware of your surroundings.
- Stay vigilant in crowds and steer clear of commotions. Act confident, walk with purpose and look people in the eyes. Thieves want to blend in with the crowd and do not want to be identified.
- Secure your bag. Thieves want to quickly and discreetly separate you from your valuables, so even a minor obstacle can be an effective deterrent.
- Avoid carrying large amounts of cash. Use debit or credit cards when possible and store them securely. Keep account numbers and customer service telephone numbers in a handy place and away from purses or wallets.
- Avoid purses hanging from straps around the neck. A purse snatcher can harm victims with it. If someone grabs the purse, let it go. Nothing in it out values personal safety.
- Men should consider keeping wallets in front pockets rather than hip pockets or jackets.
- Avoid showing money or valuables in public.
- Leave your bags in front of you, not at your side or behind you. When they are at your side, you can be distracted in one direction as your bag disappears in the other.
- If you are a victim of a crime, try to remain calm and remember every detail possible. Look for something obvious about the suspect. Assess their height in comparison to yours. Hair color, facial hair, scars and other descriptive features are also important. Observe the mode and direction of travel. (Automobile description, color, make, tag if possible.) Also, note clothing colors and styles.
- Notify law enforcement immediately if you are victimized or notice any suspicious activity.
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