NBA, NFL Issue Safety Warnings After Player Thefts

Kansas City Chiefs stars Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes are among the professional athletes who've recently had their homes robbed while they weren't there. The NBA and NFL are now issuing a warning to its players to beef up their security as a trend has seemingly emerged in recent weeks. 

According to NBC News, NBA senior vice president and chief security officer Leon Newsome told league presidents and general managers that league officials have been briefed by FBI agents about "professional athletes and other high-net-worth individuals" increasingly being targeted by "transnational South American Theft Groups ('SATGs')."

"These SATGs are reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices," Newsome said. "The SATGs are primarily focused on cash and items that can be resold on the black market, such as jewelry, watches, and luxury bags. The FBI reported that, in most of the incidents, the homes were equipped with alarm systems that were not activated. The FBI also reported that the homes were all unoccupied and, in most cases, no dogs were present."

The statement was sent out after a string of reported burglaries of the homes of Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr., and the Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. 

The NFL, meanwhile, has similarly warned its players to be mindful about publicly sharing any information regarding their homes or whereabouts as well as showing off any luxury items a thief might want. 

"The homes of professional athletes across multiple sports leagues have become increasingly targeted for burglaries by organized and skilled groups," the NFL said. "It is important for players to maintain situational awareness, practice social media safety and implement home security measures to reduce risk of becoming a target."

Related: Patrick Mahomes Speaks Out After 'Disappointing' Home Burglary

Luckily, authorities have purportedly already been able to recover some of the lost merchandise. ABC News is reporting that a watch belonging to Kelce has just been found in Providence, Rhode Island, which was taken from his Leawood, Kansas home along with $20,000 in cash just hours after Mahomes' home was burgled. 

It's a "frustrating" and "disappointing" situation to be in, Mahomes told reporters earlier this month of the burglary. "I can't get into too many of the details because the investigation is still ongoing. But obviously it's something that you don’t want to happen to, really anybody, but obviously yourself," he said, per NBC News.

Whether you're a star athlete or an everyday American, it's probably best to secure your home and keep any information that would be attractive to thieves as hidden as possible.