When Thieves Come Knocking

Don't let the fear of theft squelch your studio's sense of community. Adopt a commonsense approach to protect your students and send thieves packing.

By Melissa Garvey

Trust, acceptance, and community are the hallmarks of many yoga studios. But in the absence of healthy boundaries, the very environment that nurtures practice can be an open invitation to thieves.

When Kim Weeks, founder of Boundless Yoga Studio in Washington, D.C., first realized that two thieves posing as potential clients were targeting her studio, she was unsure of how to respond.

"It's my job to create a safe and enjoyable learning environment for my students," says Weeks. "But I didn't want to respond out of fear and immediately rush out to buy security cameras."

Esther Geiger, longtime administrator of Unity Woods Yoga Center in the D.C. metropolitan area, was confronted with a similar challenge involving the same two thieves when one of her instructors reported a stolen credit card with unauthorized charges totaling $4,000.

It would have been easy to give in to exasperation or stress. But fortunately the two instructors chose to pause and ask, "Here's what we're confronted with. What should we do?"

Organize a Response

As an administrator, Geiger naturally gravitated toward taking action by getting organized. She instructed teachers never to allow students leave anything in the dressing room and to lock the door whenever they were teaching.

She also sent an email to local yoga studios warning them of increased incidents of theft. Thanks to Geiger's proactive approach, studios like Boundless Yoga were able to pick up on the severity of the situation.

"Networking among owners and sharing information has been invaluable," says Lt. Erich Miller, a detective at the D.C. police department. "It clarified the picture as the situation evolved and provided a more accurate description of the [suspects]."

Weeks responded in a similar manner. In addition to asking students to bring valuables into the classroom, she encouraged instructors to avoid over dramatizing the situation. It was an important step that prevented unhealthy and unnecessary levels of fear from settling into the studio atmosphere.

Secure Your Community

While Adam Guttentag, vice president of development and operations at Yoga Works in Santa Monica, California, thinks it's important to respond to theft in a non-alarmist manner, he has an alternative perspective on bringing valuables into the classroom.

Since a typical studio gets anywhere from 350 to 400 visits every day, Yoga Works offers free lockers for students to use during class.

"Not only is it convenient and secure, but it also removes a lot of the clutter," explains Guttentag. "It's an added sense of security, and they don't have to worry about it while they're practicing."

Lt. Miller agrees. However, he acknowledges the space constraints present at many smaller yoga studios. "If lockers aren't possible, smaller studios can provide a secure room where people can put their personal property," Miller says. He also recommends having a front desk staffed by an employee who can monitor access to storage areas.

Guttentag offers yet another solution. Yoga Works' smaller studios are equipped with storage cubbies inside the classroom. Cubbies just large enough to hold keys and other valuables can be a practical way to neatly contain clutter.

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