Protect Your iPod! 'iCrime' a Theory Worth Hearing About

University of Cincinnati Professor of Criminal Justice John Eck will be headed to Washington, D.C., this week, to participate in a program on the relationship between iPods and a recent jump in robberies nationwide.

The panel discussion, sponsored by the Urban Institute, addresses an interesting theory: Is there a rising problem with "iCrime" in our society?

The term "iCrime" references the theft of ubiquitous iPod, other similar MP3 players and small expensive electronic gadgets which have taken the nation by storm in the past couple of years. Urban Institute researchers have shown that the recent jump in robberies coincides with the popularity of these devices.

The iPod, according to Eck, fits in with past patterns of sudden spikes in crime that have coincided with the promotion of other expensive products among young people, such as Air Jordan basketball shoes or North Face jackets. (Eck even slightly sheepishly admits he can recall an upsurge in car break-ins in the 1970s, when CB radios became the rage).

"There’s this whole class of items out there that we call ‘hot products,’ " says Eck, a criminologist who studies crime prevention. "It’s an idea that emerged in the last decade. The basic idea is that some things are much more desirable for thieves than others and pose greater risks to their owners."

Eck subscribes to a theory, first developed by Ronald V. Clarke of Rutgers University, that describes these products by the acronym of CRAVED. It stands for:

• Concealable – the thief can hide it
• Removable – the thief can take it
• Available – there are many of them
• Valuable – it has value
• Enjoyable – it’s fun
• Disposable – the thief can sell it

"If you think about an iPod, it fits every one of those characteristics," says Eck. "Anything that you own that meets all six of those points is something that is attractive to thieves and creates a risk for you."

Another example of a current hot product, Eck says, are GPS devices.

He recalls being in Kansas City last summer with a police crime analyst who was concerned about how she could protect her car. She never left her GPS unit in the car, but knew that thieves were now looking for the tell-tale small circular marks on the windshield created by the suction cups for mounting the device. The crime analyst explained that if thieves saw those circles that indicated that a GPS was used in the car, they were likely to break into the car to try and steal the device.

One other factor that increases the risk of robbery to iPod and MP3 player users is how they are used. They are designed to be worn on the go, but the earphones and the sound they produce decrease users’ awareness of their surroundings. So at the same time the user is advertising the desirability of their possessions, he or she is also decreasing their ability to detect threats.

Eck says that makes taking preventative action harder. "It’s difficult to protect yourself. It is kind of like pinning cash to your baseball cap and walking down the street with earplugs."

Eventually, experience has shown that iPods will move down the list of the most desirable hot products. But other hot products will emerge.

"New CRAVED items will continue to be created and marketed," says Eck. "There’s always that desire to have the newest thing. So the question becomes: How can manufacturers create and market devices that people want, but do it in such a way that people can enjoy these devices without excess risk? More crime prevention needs to be build into the devices from the start."