This incident of man stealing smartphone in S’pore teaches us 2 important lessons in life

Last Updated on 2016-05-19 , 1:53 pm

Remember those banners that proclaim: “LOW crime is not NO crime” in our neighbourhoods? Those banners are initiatives by the neighbourhood police to remind us this: despite the fact that Singapore is known for our low crime rates, it does not mean we can be complacent and assume that everyone is truly honest and law abiding.

A few days ago, there has been reports on how a man swiftly swiped away someone’s phone in a matter of seconds, and all these happened in a crowded shopping mall, in full view of all the shoppers.

At about 2pm, on 25 March, a man clad in yellow shirt and a black bag pack caught sight of a Samsung Note 5 on the cashier counter in a store in Vivocity. Taking advantage of the fact that there was no one at the counter, he reached for it, picked it up and left.

Well, unfortunately, despite his crime going unnoticed till he left, he failed to notice the CCTV right in front of him. The incident was caught on camera, which we hazard was put in place to monitor the staff. A police report was made about the case of dishonest misappropriation of property (basically stealing).

Now, we’re not going to write about the incident because it has been covered enough times by both the mainstream media and alternate media sites. Instead, we want to talk about the possible life lessons you can draw from this, something most of us has been overdue in learning.

Low crime =/= no crime
In any case, this incident is a stark reminder that despite being known for a low crime rate city, Singapore does has a few bad apples that might act upon temptation if they see a phone, wallet, iPad lying around, unattended.

Keeping our valuables safe
This incident reminds us that we should always keep our valuables safe and close right next to us. What’s so difficult about putting your phone in your pocket, right? Sadly, this incident is only 1 out of the many thefts committed in a day. And before you deny not taking care of your personal belongings, how many of us leave our phones and wallets on the table while dining at the food court?

Crime doesn’t pay
Lastly, crime does NOT pay. It is our duty to be a responsible citizen, which means keeping our possessions close to us, and of course, to not steal! Stealing is an offense, no matter what you are stealing. It could be a pencil from the bookshop, or a phone, like in this case, but stealing is stealing, and it is against the law.

You don’t want to get caught and face the possibility of a fine, or worse, a jail term! It is in our role as a responsible citizen to be law abiding, especially in issues where other people may be affected by our actions.