Are there any data on the incidence of theft in airports' airside areas?

A number of posters on this forum have referred to airports' airside areas as 'safe' or 'secure'. It seems to me that the presence of security checks gives some passengers the impression that there is a reduced risk from thieves and pick pockets. I believe that airside areas offer opportunities for thieves because

Travellers are often carrying more cash than usual;
Passengers are unpacking and repacking valuables (e.g. mobile phones, watches, tablet computers) at the security screening points;
Departing or transfer passengers can be stressed or disorientated;
So-called 'duty free shops' have fewer inventory controls than those in shopping malls and on high streets;
Thieves can easily and cheaply gain access to airside areas (low cost airlines often offer very cheap fares).

I searched online but could not find any data on the incidence of theft in airside areas. Are there any airports or airport authorities that publish such data?

Best Answer

'Secure' applies to the TSA's understanding of 'free of weapons and other stuff that is not allowed to be carried on an airplane'. It has no relation to 'crime-secure' or even 'crime-reduced'.

It is a different question if thieves would consider this a good area to work in; as they would have to show an ID when entering, and will probably be video-recorded in the terminal, it would be quite risky - even being seen by a by-stander gets you caught for sure, as there is no simple running-away possible. Therefore, most professional thieves would probably roam in other places.

[consider also how easy it is to walk into any airport to the luggage belts, pick some nice suitcases, and leave - but it's not happening much. Obviously, the video-taping makes it quite uninteresting for thieves.]