Never Leave Your Bag Unattended at a Public Event

Crowded public events create ideal conditions for opportunistic theft — the crowd provides cover, everyone’s attention is on the entertainment, and “designated areas” for bags give victims a false sense of security. In a May 2026 incident at an Easter Bonnet Parade on St. John Street, Laventille, a 26-year-old woman placed her Louis Vuitton bag containing $3,100 in cash, her TT ID card, and personal belongings in a designated ground area for patrons. When she returned, the bag was gone. The thief needed only a moment of the owner’s absence and the knowledge that the bag was not on her person. No designated area at an outdoor event is monitored or secured.

Steps to follow:

• Never set down a bag containing cash, cards, or identification at a public event — treat any unattended bag as lost the moment you step away from it.
• Carry essential items — cash, your ID, your bank card — on your body in a secure inner pocket or a cross-body bag worn across your chest.
• Bring only as much cash as you intend to spend; leave surplus money at home or locked in your vehicle.
• If you must put a bag down while seated, position it between your feet and loop the strap around your chair leg or ankle so any removal requires physical contact.
• When you move away from your seat, even briefly, take your bag with you — most theft at events occurs in the seconds between the victim looking away and returning.
• Be especially vigilant at outdoor community events where crowd density is high and exits are numerous; these settings allow a thief to disappear instantly.