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U.S. passport theft increases

Embassy vexed as other countries cite a decline in incidents

By Curtis M. Wong
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
July 23rd, 2008 issue

MICHAEL HEITMANN/The Prague Post
Pickpockets target transport popular with tourists - namely the 119 airport bus and trams 22 and 23.
Passport precautions



Lost and stolen passports are main issues embassies in Prague deal with. It is recommended that you:
Keep a photocopy of your passport photo page in a separate, safe place from the original
Avoid carrying your passport in a handbag, backpack or other luggage targeted by thieves
Try to carry your passport in your front pocket
Be aware of pickpockets, especially on transport and at tourist sites

With the tourist season in high gear, international embassy officials find themselves grappling with the annually recurring problem of stolen passports among travelers. While officials at the British and Canadian embassies are reporting a drop in the number of lost passports in the past year, the U.S. Embassy has seen a significant spike in the number of applications in 2007–08.
According to the most recent statistics, the U.S. Embassy issued a total of 230 emergency passports to visitors and expats from October 2007 to March 2008, compared with just 92 for the same time period the previous year. In most cases, the passport itself wasn’t targeted but taken along with a handbag, backpack or wallet. Embassy officials are stumped as to the reasons for the increase, adding that it seems Prague’s reputation as a haven for pickpockets hasn’t diminished.
“Here in Prague, having your passport stolen while you are traveling is quite a frequent occurrence,” said Margaret Bula-Duane, vice consul and foreign service officer at the U.S. Embassy. “Of course, most people who have their passports stolen also have their wallets stolen as well. Travelers are often frantic when it happens, and it’s up to the embassy officers to calm them down.”  
While officials say it’s too early to make a prediction on figures for the 2008 tourist season, other embassies have seen a steady drop in the number of lost or stolen passport applications from travelers in the past two years. In 2007, the number of passports reported to the British Embassy as lost or stolen was 253, down from 315 the previous year.
While officials did not comment on figures, there has been a sizeable decrease in the number of passport applications at the Canadian Embassy as well.
Despite this drop, authorities say that passport replacement creates a big headache for embassy officers, particularly during the high-travel summer months. With full validity passport applications often taking up to 15 working days to process, most embassies issue temporary or interim documents for travelers, which are machine-readable at airports and train stations and designed especially for emergency cases. These documents can be obtained simply by providing two color photographs and a photo ID card to verify citizenship.
“Lost and stolen passports are certainly one of the main issues our embassy has to deal with on the consular side,” said Petra Roubíčková, spokeswoman for the British Embassy. “It’s also a real shame for British citizens if they must spend some of their holiday at the local police station reporting the theft, waiting for a translator and then obtaining a [temporary] passport issued at the embassy.”   
Hot spots
Most passports are reported as having been stolen on buses, trams or the metro, particularly the No. 119 bus link to the airport, officials say. Also, trams No. 22 and No. 23 are often cited, given they connect Old Town and Prague Castle. Overnight trains, particularly between the Czech Republic and Poland, are also risky. Other tourists have claimed to be targeted by highly orchestrated schemes conducted by club employees and bogus police officers.  
Authorities credit several embassy campaigns with improving awareness of potential passport theft that have helped to spur the decline. In recent years, several embassies have distributed leaflets, posters and beer coasters at hotels as well as restaurants and bars frequented by tourists. Tourists are urged to carry their passports in their front pockets, make a photocopy of their passport photo page to be kept in a separate place from the original document and avoid carrying the document in a handbag, backpack or other highly visible luggage items often targeted by thieves.    
“It is advisable to carry the photocopies and keep the passports in a safe place,” said Magdalena Fiřtová, spokeswoman for the Canadian Embassy.  
Adds Roubíčková: “[These precautions] will save travelers a lot of time when dealing the Czech police and also when asking for the passport replacement at the embassy.”   
And while officials say temporary passport applicants vary from students to senior citizens, it’s young travelers who often panic the most when trying to replace their documents.
“[Young travelers] will probably feel more frantic or affected by the situation as opposed to a more seasoned traveler, as they might not have adequately planned ahead,” said Bula-Duane.

Curtis M. Wong can be reached at news@praguepost.com


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