Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, left, and Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes. (David Eulitt/Getty Images, Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
A recent series of high-profile burglaries at the homes of professional athletes, such as Kansas City Chiefs players Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, have prompted the NFL and NBA to issue safety memos to its teams and players, urging them to take additional steps to secure their homes and valuables.
The thieves appear to be taking advantage of the timing of the star athletes’ competition schedules. according to the NFL memo.
The memos describe how the burglars gathered information about potential victims and offer recommendations on how players can avoid becoming victims of a burglary in the future.
The FBI is investigating whether the burglaries are linked to a transnational crime ring, a spokesman said NBC news report.
While there have been no public reports of NHL players being targeted for burglaries, the league has also warned its players about security risks to the homes of professional athletes. CNN reports this.
This is what we know:
Which players have fallen victim to the recent series of burglaries?
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September 15: The home of Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr. was burglarized. while at a Minnesota Vikings game, and jewelry was stolen.
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November 2: Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis’ home was broken into while playing a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He has offered a $40,000 reward for information leading to the return of his assets after making a plea on social media say the thieves took “Most of my prized possessions.”
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Oct. 6: Local police were called to Mahomes’ home after a member of his security team reported a burglary the night before an Oct. 7 home game. “It’s disappointing. I can’t go into too much detail because the investigation is ongoing,” Mahomes said during a press conference on Nov. 13.
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October 7: A thief broke into Kelce’s house while he was playing against the New Orleans Saints. Police had confirmed that $20,000 in cash had been stolen, but did not previously reveal about a stolen watch has now been found in Providence, RI
What do the safety memos say?
The The NFL memo stated: “The homes of professional athletes in multiple sports leagues have increasingly become targets for burglaries by organized and experienced groups. Law enforcement officials have noted that these groups appear to be abusing team schedules to target athletes’ homes on race days.” No details were provided on the identity of the suspected group.
The memo noted ways the burglary groups appear to conduct extensive surveillance by gathering information about their targets through “public documents, media reports and social media.” Some thieves reportedly pose as delivery drivers, groundskeepers and neighborhood joggers to gather information. Burglars also enter players’ homes by entering side doors through second-floor balconies and windows, or by climbing walls.
The NFL advises players to exercise caution when using social media, advising them not to post their activities as they happen, and not to share photos of valuable items such as jewelry or clothing.
The N.B.A., which issued a similar safety memopassed along information from the FBI showing that some of the burglaries are linked to “transnational South American theft groups,” which it described as “reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings involving advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones and devices for signal interference. ”
The memo also said the thieves target goods that “can be resold on the black market, such as jewelry, watches and luxury bags.”
Both memos advise players to take the next steps in home security, including updating alarm systems and activating them when away from home, testing those systems regularly, using dogs for home protection and vetting contractors who work in and around houses.
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