WASHINGTON -- Four travel agencies were burglarized during the
first three weeks of January, according to ARC's Web site.
Significantly, two pairs of the burglaries occurred in the same
geographic area, one night apart. The incidents are listed on ARC's
Web site, along with maps showing the cities, so that agents can
see if crimes are happening in their vicinities and prepare their
offices accordingly.
For example, the site shows that in Florida, an agency in St.
Cloud was burglarized on Jan. 5; the next night an agency in
Ellenton was hit.
The Web site does not indicate whether the same crooks are
believed responsible for both burglaries, but it does show that
criminals are active in that part of Florida and would alert other
agents in the area to take precautions.
Similarly, on Jan. 17, an agency in Trenton, N.J., was
burglarized; the next night, an agency in nearby Jenkintown, Pa.,
was hit. In neither case was ticket stock stolen, indicating that
the agency owners had taken exceptional care of their blank stock
or were lucky.
Although stolen ticket stock represents an infinitesimal amount
of the blank stock shipped to agents, it can be the financial death
knell of a firm that is held liable to pay for stolen tickets
honored by airlines.
Liability hinges on whether the agency followed ARC security
requirements, which include specifications on how much stock can be
kept on the premises and how it must be secured.
The Web site says ARC lists the incidents in order to
"sensitize" agents as crimes occur in their geographic areas. "Any
travel agent can be the next victim," it says. The site also lists
the locations of armed robberies, most of which have occurred in
Southern California during the past year or so.
In the first three weeks of January, two armed robberies took
place in California, one in the north at an agency in Napa on Jan.
12 and another in the south at an agency in Los Angeles on Jan. 17.
No stock was stolen in the Napa incident.
Agents victimized by armed robberies are never held liable for
stolen stock.
To keep up with the locations of recent burglaries and
robberies, visit ARC's home page at www.arccorp.com.
Scroll down to Ticket Security and click on Incidents 2000.