With the football team’s recent success and the warm weather coming to an end, the past few weeks have been indicated as the “prime party season,” said Cmdr. Mike Brennan of the Ames Police Department. An ongoing problem in Ames is the high number of laptops that have been reported stolen.

“Whether you’re having a big or a small party at your house or apartment, it is a good idea to keep mental notes of who is there that you are unfamiliar with or where your valuables are,” Brennan said.

Many newer-edition laptops have a built-in anti-theft software. Individuals can check online if a computer has it provided. If not, one can purchase the software.

Anti-theft software has many benefits. It can help locate your laptop if it’s stolen, it will disable data access if your hard drive is replaced, removed or reformatted, and a password can be set up to recover your undamaged data.