Charities need to be smarter
It seems every year we read about thieves stealing gifts collected for needy children, yet little seems to be done to prevent this really bad deed (“Elks Lodge gifts swiped,” Dec. 22).
Why don’t charities that collect these gifts pool their resources and collectively place the items in a secure, locked facility? A “locked” office is not a secure location. Here are suggestions for all the local charities.
1. Don’t let the gifts’ storage location be known to any more people than absolutely necessary — “Loose lips lose gifts.”
2. Store the gifts in a very secure location with no windows and very few doors.
3. Pool resources with other charitable organizations to rent a secure storage area/room.
Experience shows that thieves are smart. Honest organizations need to be smarter.
Jim Vint, Santa Maria
This story was originally published January 5, 2016 at 8:19 PM with the headline "Charities need to be smarter."