With the holidays comes a flurry of shoppers and, unavoidably, a greater risk of shoplifting and burglary.
While there hasn’t been a dramatic increase in shoplifting so far, shoppers and merchants should still be aware of the heightened risk of crime, said GPD spokesman Officer Ben Tobias.
Last year, police reported about 250 retail thefts between mid-October and mid-December, about 50 more than the two previous months, Tobias said. Since Nov. 1 this year, 107 retail thefts have been recorded.
The department seasonally increases patrols around shopping areas like Butler Plaza and the Oaks Mall.
Officers are also looking out for another prominent holiday-shopping issue: car burglaries.
“While you’re inside shopping, criminals are going to be outside shopping in your cars,” Tobias said.
The department sends police horses to high-traffic areas to try to ward off potential thieves, Tobias said. However, he recommended shoppers don’t keep purchases inside cars and added that most burglaries happen when criminals find unlocked car doors.
“More often than not, it’s just a crime of opportunity,” he said.
A version of this story ran on page 1 on 12/4/2013 under the headline "Shoplifting incidents lower this year so far"
