I see them all around the town that I live in; those cute little vehicle decals of stick figures, zombies, Star Wars figures and even Disney figures representing parents, children and pets in the vehicle owner’s family. And, what about those bumper stickers that say things like, “My child made straight A’s at Miller Elementary School” proudly displayed on vehicles? To the family, these are innocent, but to criminals, these stickers reveal a wealth of information that can give them an edge.

Let’s say there’s a decal of a man (representing the dad) wearing a military helmet; a woman (the mom) in a dress; a boy (the son) with a soccer ball; a girl (the daughter) with pompoms and a small dog, the family pet. Here’s what a criminal mind may think:

• The dad is out of town a lot because he’s in the military;
• The mom is home alone during the day while the kids are at school, so this may be the perfect time to invade;
• The boy plays soccer, so I can follow the family to their home and figure out which soccer field is the closest to their home;
• The girl is a cheerleader; and
• The dog is small and probably wouldn’t pose much of a threat.

Add a “Proud Parent of an Honor Student at Miller Elementary” bumper sticker, and the criminal then knows exactly which school the boy and girl attend.

What’s even more frightening is that sometimes I have seen the names of each family member associated with the stickers. Just think, a criminal could get the name of your son or daughter, call his or her school and impersonate you, or directly approach your child, attempting to trick your child into thinking that they know you.

I’m not saying that if you have these on your vehicle, you should run out and rip them off; however, just be mindful of the information that these little decals/stickers can give that enable criminals to put the pieces of the puzzle together to commit the perfect crime.

Image from Montgomery Public Safety Department's Facebook page.