Excellent article on coin show security and safety in 2003 Numismatist. Additional thoughts offered

wingedliberty

This article is a must for every collector who has attended or plans to attend a coin show in the
near future. Some of the obvious and not so obvious points that were presented are as follows,
and due to recent increases in numismatic crime and fraud in general, they are worth repeating.

1.NEVER leave coins in your vehicle unattended , particullarly in parking lots.
2.DO NOT leave coin publications visible in your vehicle, thats a nice invitation that says
"Hey, I probably have coins in here, please break in!!!"
3.When and if you pass down numismatic publications to friends and libraries, etc, make sure that
the mailing labels are removed, you never know how many other recipients it may go to. This
also acts as another invitation for robbery.
4.At a show, do not be timid in asking about the security arrangements, whether you are a collector
or a dealer, you have the right to know.
5.The article also made mention of the fact that undercover, and plain clothes police and security
are generally more effective than the so-called "rent a cops" or other security contractors because they are in many cases dealers themselves and have a more vested interest in more
effective protection and keeping a closer eye on the cases. I don't know whether a potential
thief is more detered by a uniform or not. Something to think about?
6.The article also mentioned the fact that show promoters should keep a log of the patrons entering the show. Like a first and last name with ID to increase security.


I welcome any addt' l feedback. I thought the article was very informative and fascinating.






Brian.

greghansen

As a former prosecutor I loved that article. Made me a little self conscious though. Reading it, I got the impression the author had followed me around at a recent convention and made a note of all the stupid things I did. Most of them showed up in his article!

FC57Coins

I read the article as well - good info! thanks!

wingedliberty

Greg:
As a former prosecutor, do you think plain clothers are more effective or does a uniform serve
as a detterent, no matter how ineffective or poorly trained the uniformed security may be?


Brian.

greghansen

You know, I don't want this to sound like a cop out, but I think a combination is the most effective strategy. If a show hires 8 guys maybe 6 should be uniformed because there is a huge deterrance factor. A couple of plain clothes guys however, are going to be able to get closer to the suspected bad guys undetected. They can monitor from much closer distances than someone in uniform. If it were a small local show with only one guy, if I had to choose, I'd get the uniform due to the deterrence factor.

wingedliberty

That makes alot of sense. Thanks.




Brian.

Geoman

Good ideas. However, I do not like the one of having to "log in" with my first and last name to get into a show. The one bigger show I attended the past 2 years, had us write our names on a name tag. I tried walking in and they stopped me. Told me I couldn't enter unless I wrote my name on it. So I wrote a fake name and walked in.

I know there are many good reasons for having your name there. But I do not like the fact that people need to know your last name. I guess maybe I like my privacy too much. But hey, I don't want to go and say I am from this town, this is my last name, so maybe I would have coins in my house. Anyways, just my thoughts.

wingedliberty

Geoman:
Your concerns about your privacy are valid and understandable. I thought about that one twice
as well.


Brian.

DesertLizard

I can appreciate the desire for security BUT it is way way too intrusive for any show to record my first and last name along with recording ID information!! Hello!! Most of identity theft starts from organizations which gather such data. Look at the statistics and you will see 99.99% of CC, identity, etc. thefts are inside jobs.

People routinely give out innocous data which when combined from other sources tells the world who and what you are. Read the "privacy policy" of Yahoo some day and you will see you have NO privacy. They collect info on everything you do every moment you visit their sites or affiliates. They can and do trade / sell this info to others. How safe is that when you are identified by your IP address which is then tied to your real address?

The people to fear are your friendly coin dealer [more likely his low paid staff], your mailman, other coin dealers/collectors. Dealers / collectors who get ripped off are not targets at random they are calculated targets hit by calculating thefts, not the run of the mill robber.

You are not going to get held up leaving a show unless someone sees you scooping up dozens of Saints, Libs, Indys, etc. A theft is not going to rob someone who may or may not have "Stuff" and run the risk of getting caught. Just because someone reads a magazine does not mean they have coins worth stealing. They could be a modern collector!!

In summary, fear those you know and who know you! Be discreet and you'll be safe.

wingedliberty

Desertlizard:
You make an excellent point. The Tampa show gathers the name, address, and phone number.
I always get a postcard reminder of the quarterly show. I think you're right, the exposure to
data theft may outweigh the reminder convenience. What do you think about using an email instead as a reminder?


Brian.

EVillageProwler

Post deleted because I may have gotten his name confused with another that is VERY similar...



EVP

coinguy1

Here are some other things I'd recommend for increased security - they might sound obvious, but you'd be amazed at how many people don't think to do (or not do) these things :

1) Remove your show badge, ribbon or sticker with your name on it when you leave a show.
2) Don't play show and tell with rare coins in public places like hotel lobbies, restaurants, airplanes, etc.
3) Don't talk out loud about your rare coins if you're riding in a cab, train, etc. with them.
4) Don't pull out a wad of cash in public.
5) Keep one hand on your briefcase (or other type of coin holder) at all times.
6) Try to use the buddy system when entering or exiting a show

As has been pointed out previously, most robberies are not random in nature - the bad guys survey shows and the attendees, looking for potential careless, inattentive and therefore attractive victims.

Dog97

Always carry your Combat Commander locked & loaded.

dorkkarl

most foolish mistake imo: coin-related personalized license plate . i've seen a couple - very foolish!

K S

nwcs

It was a good article. The best defense, of course, is to always be aware of who is where and what they're doing. A little vigilance pays big rewards.

Petescorner

I'll add one that was pointed out to me by Randy Campbell of ANACS at my first coin show.

Don't use inserts for your flips that have your address on them.

I know it sounds silly for someone to do that, but hey, I admitted it!

wingedliberty

Dan:
Thats an excellent one as far as the personalized 2x2 flips. Alot of crooks go through
trash.


Brian.

dimeadzn

Excellent ideas here!

As a mom, I'd like to suggest that if you're taking your child to a show, NEVER put a name tag on them. If you get seperated, the name can be used by an abductor to gain the child's trust.

It's a real shame we have to teach children to be suspicious, but doing so may save their life.

SarasotaFrank

I occasionally take coins with me to my local shops, usually in a soft sided leather briefcase. A 9mm in the case as well as one in a belt holster both work wonders for my peace of mind.

It's one of the things I love about living in Florida. I have a state issued concealed weapons permit and have no reservations about enjoying the freedom and security it provides.