One thief who was operating when I started on the Ann Arbor Police Department - 27 years ago last Sunday - is still active. This particular thief is on absconder status with the Michigan Department of Corrections, which means he's not reporting to his parole officer. 

The “authorities” don’t know where he is, and more than likely don't have the resources to scour the streets for him. Especially since it will take a brand new crime to get him bounced back into prison since there is no room, and he isn’t really a “danger to society” just a “nuisance.” He is a professional, albeit petty, thief.

This thief never really leaves the Ann Arbor area for long, other than when he's incarcerated. His particular specialty is stealing purses or wallets (out of purses) that are in office workers’ desks. He is bold, and he is stealthy. By the time he is asked to leave the building, he's probably already obtained his loot. In recent years, this guy has plagued the University of Michigan; police there are well aware of him.

For a while several years ago, he tired of the purse thefts in offices and was working the waiting rooms at the University of Michigan Medical Center. He looked like a worried relative waiting for a loved one to get out of surgery or back to his or her room. He would sometimes sleep in the waiting rooms when he was between places to live and it was cold outside. He works alone or sometimes with chums, but he is always hunting.

In the waiting rooms, he could relax - maybe get a cup of coffee, blend in with others and watch Oprah, Ellen or The Price is Right. Meanwhile, he sized up the room until potential prey got careless and left their valuables unattended. If the pickings were slim, he could always wander the halls and find an office and check out that big file drawer on the bottom left of the desk where the office worker sat. It was always unlocked and easy to loot once the time was right, and no one was around for a minute or two. Morning break times or early afternoon right after lunch when most office workers are sleepy and maybe need a bathroom break seemed like the best time to hit.

He is cunning and stealthy. He knows when he can hit and when people are on guard. He is a predator, and he knows how people move through offices. He knows body language, office interior design and human habits. He could not, and (having been through the legal system many times) would not tell you how he does it, but he is a hunter and student of human behavior.

The only thing that has caused a little speed bump in his ongoing criminal enterprise is the proliferation of video cameras. Cameras are all over and make a lot of cases for law enforcement. Just watch the news at night and you’ll see pictures of the bank robbery or convenience store robbery that just took place a few hours earlier. The digital age has assisted law enforcement with the ability to “blitz” the media with pictures.  

He really doesn’t worry about those cameras though because he steals from areas where there are seldom cameras. He only worries about the cameras at the entrance and exits. Even those cameras are only a minor inconvenience. So what if he just happened to be in the building when a theft occurred? It doesn’t really prove anything unless he gets caught with loot in his pockets. Even if he does get caught, he is still just a petty thief to an overburdened, underfunded criminal justice system. He is not much more of a nuisance than the potholes in the road that bounce your car out of alignment but fall short of eating your tires and wheels—just a nuisance.

He’s only a nuisance until it's your purse or wallet. Then it will be multiple calls to banks, credit card companies, the cops, and an unpleasant chat with your boss since the office keys were in that purse. Hopefully the thief can’t find your car in the parking lot, even though he has your keys and your keyless entry fob. 

He probably won’t check your glove box for the vehicle registration, which includes your home address. Certainly it won’t worry you that he could have your address and your house keys on the same ring as your car keys. He wouldn’t dare drive your car to your house and steal your stuff there - or would he? Maybe he isn’t bold enough, but one of his buddies might be.

Suddenly, the nuisance criminal, this petty thief, has rocked your world. You’ll probably have to take a day off of work to meet the locksmith to re-key your home and drive to the car dealership to re-key your car. You’ll worry about your identity and good credit rating being ruined by some scumbag.

Is it a hassle to lock your purse or valuables up in your office? Yes, but is it worth it for your piece of mind? That will be up to you. The thief/absconder I have described hopes you maintain your fundamental faith in the goodness of all people and leave your valuables unlocked. 

Good luck with that. 

I still recommend you lock it up, don’t leave it unattended, be aware and look out for your neighbors.

Rich Kinsey is a retired detective sergeant from the Ann Arbor Police Department who blogs about crime and safety for AnnArbor.com.