Scrap stealing in towns already! (for at least 30 seconds after characters enters the city)
That's some slow loading.
If you don't want to lose items, don't enter NCR with them. If you don't get stolen from, you might get shot.
Never enter NCR at the bazar, it's where most thieves are in NCR. Enter and leave at Vortis.
Better would be to move your base of operations to another town.
IMO the easiest way is to make tagging an anti-theft ability. Just tag him and he is now unable to steal from you. That does not protect you from 2 thieves at the same time, but most them work alone anyway.
Or, if this can't be done why not make shopkeepers in guarded towns able to detect thievery in 100% ? As far as I'm concerned shop thievery if the most annoying and shopkeepers should not allow this happening on their premises. Still, if you don't have a gun in your hand, the thief is gonna run away with your stuff anyway.
About the repair/science/whatever animation used on you while shopping etc. why not disable them when there is a person in 1 hex radius? And disable animations of first aid and doc when the 'healed' player has 100% HP.
As far as we know there will be changes next session, including the animation.
Thieving has been nerved already, but it seems so have player's intelligence. You can avoid thieves 100% of the time by simply paying attention.
Someone walks or runs at you when you're trading. You move away.
Someone comes and stands next to you. You move away.
Thieving is expected near traders as people trading have goods.
You can have a gun in your hand, thieves walk away nevertheless if they didn't fail.
To avoid at least 80% of the thieves, don't visit NCR.
Hub, Junktown and VC have far less thieves.
Unguarded northern cities have none. You should be able to trade safely in Redding when an APK faction is in control. Simply check downtown using the preview and talk to the people there before entering with your goods.