(QUINTE WEST, ON) – On Saturday October 18th, 2014, at 2:30pm Quinte West O.P.P. arrested a male at Trenton Memorial Hospital for Theft under $5000. The male had been seated in a hospital waiting room where he removed a female’s wallet from her purse. The male attempted to leave the hospital; however, Police were already at the hospital on an unrelated matter and quickly caught up the male and placed him under arrest. The male was attempting to dispose of the wallet.
Alvin HYDE, 59, of Trenton was charged with theft under $5,000 and was released on a Promise to Appear with a court date in November at the Ontario Court of Justice in Belleville.
The OPP would like to remind the public to protect their belongings from pickpockets. If you are carrying your valuables in a purse, chose a purse that is difficult to open. A purse with a zipper or snaps is best. If you have to carry your wallet in an unbuttoned jacket, coat or pants pocket, be sure it holds only what you can afford to lose. Keep large sums of money, credit cards, IDs, in your front pocket or any buttoned or zippered pocket. Remember, pickpockets operate day and night and they spend a great deal of time studying how to blend into a crowd to eliminate the possibility of detection before they can get away.
Protecting yourself from a pickpocket or other thief is not as difficult as you would think; just a few thoughtful precautions can be enough to give you peace of mind and confidence in going about your day.