Pickpocketing Prevention Tips

On occasion, our hard-working Sanitation and Public Safety teams recover lost property in Lincoln Square which we are often able to reunite with their rightful owners. In the last month, we learned that several of the wallets we recovered and returned were pickpocketed in crowded places. This type of crime tends to increase during the holiday season, but COVID-19 is also playing a role in the increase as well, as long lines for testing and vaccines are creating a new vulnerability for locals and visitors. 

It is important to take steps to keep your wallets, purses, and important items safe while enjoying the great stores, restaurants, and cultural institutions in Lincoln Square. Click here to read some holiday safety tips from the NYPD that can help! If you search online, you can find other articles with similar tips, including this Readers Digest article on 18 Things Pickpockets Don’t Want You to Know or this Wikihow page about pickpocketing prevention.

One of the common recommendations for avoiding pickpocketing is to secure your belongings close to your body. More often than not, a crossbody/sling pack or waist pack is the recommended bag to help prevent theft when worn in the front. Treat yourself to one this holiday season from one of Lincoln Square’s trendy stores. Click on a link below to see what kind of sling/waist pack bags these stores offer.

• Tumi (10 Columbus Circle)
• Coach (10 Columbus Circle)
• lululemon (10 Columbus Circle)
• Michael Kors (10 Columbus Circle)
• Target (1863 Broadway at 61st Street)
• Innovation Luggage (2001 Broadway at 68th Street)
• GAP (1988 Broadway at 68th Street)

Click here to browse our Neighborhood Guide for a full list of businesses in the neighborhood. Stay safe and be smart!

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