Dunwoody Police Advise Extra Protections in Securing iPhone 5 from Thieves

Dunwoody Police are asking residents to protect their iPhones and iPads after local crime has claimed the ubiquitous and expensive technological gadgets.

Several of the devices have been stolen inside city limits since the launch of these products in the last several years, say police. Dunwody Police did not divulge hard data on the trend.

The iPhone 5 was the most recent launch of the popular product whoch occurred just months ago. Long lines in front of Apple stores and a limited supply of the company's new iPhone platform has created a scarcity across the country.

Dunwoody and the rest of the metro area has seen a rise in these expensive devices, which follows a trend of a sharp increase of new iPhone thefts nationally and locally since the product launch police say.

What do you think? Is it worth it to have the latest trendy gadget even though it's a target for thieves?

Leave us a comment below.

Dunwoody PD linked to a recent national report on "CBS This Morning," which can be viewed here and discusses strategies to avoid what's coined "Apple picking."

Among tips the broadcast report details:

• Even you think you're safe in a social situation wth your device, you may not be. One interviewed said she had her high-price device stolen in a public place when her iPhone was five inches from her elbow.
• The report claims that the New York City crime rate has tripled in related thefts since the first iPhone was launched in 2007.
• The good news for those with the older model phones is that they are not as in high demand as the latest, grestest devices because they don't fetch as much on the black market.
• Something that could be deterring the phone service providers from stepping up their deterrence of the upward trend in thefts is that when the phones are stolen, unlocked and used, the various servious providers still see profits from service plans associated with the stolen devices, according to the broadcast report.

Finally, a bit of comic relief ensued recently surrounding the trend: would-be thieves, pulled a smash-and-grab job an Apple Stores around the launch of the new iPhone.

The video shows an SUV ramming through the store wall of a Riverside, Calif.  Apple retailer and then it went through a metal lattice curtain that rolled down to protect the store from just these types of daring crimes.

The robbery seemed to be going well initially - suspects were busily pulling Apple gadgets from the store displays.

The worm turned, however, when the high-performance vehicle that delivered the thieves inside the Apple Store for the smash-and-grab job were unable to back out of the store through the lattice. Police arrived shortly after to make several arrests.

Have a story to tell about your iPhone going missing because it was target? Considering smartphones are lifelines to our schedules, e-mails and personal communications, how big of a loss was this?

Had any nightmares related to straightening this out with your cell-phone provider.

Leave us your story in comment or email jason.massad@patch.com