Travel Safety Series

How to safeguard your valuables at the pool or beach

Prevention can reduce your vulnerabilities.

You are starting your vacation and it’s your first day sitting poolside or at the beach. A well-earned vacation, time for you to relax and enjoy your time, fun in the sun. This can all change with an unfortunate typical beach and poolside crime. Criminals spend their day roaming vacation spots, having fun in the sun too. However, they are on the hunt for easy pick-ups and easy money. The criminal sees the iPhone on the beach towel and they wait for you to take a swim. They drop a towel next to yours for a few minutes and away they walk with your phone, wallet and whatever else they can take. A few smart tips to avoid this type of beach or pool crime include:

• Leave your valuables in the hotel. The less you have at the beach or pool the less you will have to be targeted.


• Hide valuables in unsuspecting places. Sometimes putting valuables (wallet, car keys, etc.) in your bag can just make it easier for the criminal to snatch and grab everything. Try hiding your items in unsuspecting places, like in a water proof container or sealable bag in your cooler or bury your items in a shallow hole under your blanket or towel. Criminals want to blend in, so it would be pretty difficult to look unsuspicious if the criminal is digging under your towel or going into your cooler. Criminals go for easy targets. Something left out in view is the easiest to snatch.


• Always stay in view of your spot on the beach. If you take a walk down the beach the only thing I would recommend leaving behind would be your towel. If someone walks off with your towel the worst thing that would happen is you wouldn’t be able to dry off. However, if they walk off with your keys, wallet and phone that would bring all sorts of problems.


• When traveling always make copies of important documents like your passport, ID, itinerary, emergency phone numbers, etc. Many of us have all our contacts on speed dial and have no clue about the actual phone numbers for friends and family we may need to call in an emergency. It’s always a good idea to have copies of these items somewhere else, like in your email or back at the hotel. Just in case something of value gets stolen, you won’t be at a complete loss. You would be able to log on to your email and have your documents and itinerary information needed to proceed with your trip.

Criminals look for easy targets, taking a few moments to thinking about prevention can reduce your vulnerabilities and allow for a better vacation. Travel safe, far and wise.

Carrie Pasquarello of Global Secure Resources Inc. an International Corporation dedicated to risk mitigation and threat assessment planning. She has spent more than a decade in a Diplomatic capacity working and living abroad in Europe and Asia. Served with the US Department of State. Trained victim advocate in trauma, recovery and crisis counseling.

Follow me on Twitter Carrie Pasquarello @glosecresources

To learn more on how to travel safe email  
info@globalsecureresources.com

Contact:
Global Secure Resources Inc.
1-800-939-0562
info@globalsecureresources.com