The cause may be less denial than a fear that potential thieves might target them further.

"Then everybody will be transformed into a potential thief," he said.

When you travel around with millions in cash everybody becomes a potential thief.

A simple search of a company's container records, he said, could show a potential thief where containers are, and most important, what is inside.

If all that isn't enough of a deterrent, potential thieves need the muscle to carry off a 170-pound bike.

A kill switch forces a potential thief to waste valuable time.

Public admissions about shoplifting problems can also, of course, give potential thieves a heads up.

They were kept in a back room, secure from potential thieves.

But Pioneer found ways to save potential thieves from temptation.

Trying to keep potential thieves out of casino industry jobs is another huge task for the division.