It seems like nothing is sacred anymore. Thieving scavengers have attacked everything from copper cable used to control train signals to air conditioners in churches. In the latter instance $23,000 in damage was caused by the thieves in their quest for the copper from five air conditioners in a church. The thieves usually cause more costs to the victims in damage by their primitive methods of removing the copper.

Even though this scam has been around for years, many well meaning good citizens fall prey to the heartless criminals behind it. Criminals who take advantage of the elderly are despicable. A lot of scams work on the human weakness of greed like the pigeon drop. The Bank Examiner scam works on the honest citizen who wants to be of assistance in apprehending a thief.

Several years ago while working as a police detective in a large city I assisted in the investigation of the murder of one woman and the attempted murder of another. I am reminded of these cases by the recent story in which a young girl answered an ad on Craig's List for the position of a nanny and ended up dead.

The murdered woman had been strangled and then placed in a tub of water.

Depending on which report you believe, there are from 1400 - 3000 cases of shaken baby syndrome diagnosed each year, however, it is believed that about 30% of these cases are initially missed. Also, there is no nationwide database to capture all reported cases.

What is shaken baby syndrome? It is a term used to describe injuries resulting from a particular form of abuse.

Recently a realtor in the Bay Area of Northern California was raped and almost murdered. She had received several calls from a "prospective buyer" making appointments to see a particular house. Each time he cancelled the appointment with a plausible excuse. The fourth time he called he told the realtor he was in the neighborhood and requested her to meet him at the house.

I am sure you have heard about people being robbed and attacked when they have placed ads in the paper for everything from puppies to vehicles. Why do you think this cannot or has not happened to people selling their homes?

How many strangers have you given your home phone number or invited into your home?

This is what you do when you put your home phone number on a sign and place it on your front lawn or at the corner of your street.

It's a device straight out of a Cold War era spy film. It's a device designed to look like an everyday business accessory needed for document transportation.

What is it? It's a briefcase surveillance system. Now you can be the Man (or Woman) in the Grey Flannel Suit who's also a covert operator of some sort.

Who needs a hidden camera in a briefcase? Just about anyone who wants to record activity without being obvious about it.

Everyone has fear of something. What's your greatest fear? Fear of flying, fear of public speaking, fear of dying, fear of being alone, fear of spiders, fear of what?

How do you deal with your fear/s? Do you face them straight on or push them down inside yourself hoping they will go away, or do you stick you head in the sand like the proverbial ostrich?

Let's pick a fear.

There has been a rash of women being stopped on the highways by police impostors in my State. Most law abiding people will cooperate when stopped by someone they believe to be a police officer. Luckily, these stops have not resulted in any injuries or death.

In the past there have been serial killers who have preyed upon women by pretending to be plainclothes officers, stopping them for an alleged traffic violation, only to kidnap, rape and murder them.

In today's society, security is a primary concern for everyone. From protecting your loved ones, home and possessions, to protecting your business, video surveillance can help. If you're in the private investigation business video surveillance systems can be a valuable tool for you and your clients.

With today's technology, spy cams can keep an eye on things while you're busy doing other things.