Thieves stealing items and swag from “high-end” retailers proceed to wallop Boston throughout a yr that town has seen a rise in shoplifting.
The Boston Police Division is looking for public help because it tries to search out a bunch of shoplifters who allegedly stole $18,000 in luxurious merchandise from Sunglass Hut at Faneuil Corridor this summer time.
Sunglass Hut, a storefront at 7 Faneuil Corridor Market, has been the goal of a handful of reported shoplifting incidents involving the identical unidentified suspects since June, in response to a BPD group advisory.
The incidents, the primary on June 7 and the newest on Aug. 14, have routinely unfolded between Tuesday and Friday, throughout the timeframe of two to 4 p.m. BPD highlighted that the suspects have taken away an estimated $18,000 price of merchandise from the sunglass retailer.
A BPD spokesperson famous to the Herald that not one of the incidents highlighted in final week’s alert have concerned violence, whereas including that cracking down on shoplifting has been a precedence.
“The instances noted in this alert are like others we have seen where high-end retailers are repeatedly targeted,” the spokesperson instructed the Herald. “We are working with all retailers to identify and address patterns and trends, to prioritize repeat offenders, high value offenders, those involved in organized retail theft, and offenders who may engage in intimidation, threats or violence.”
Based on the BPD, three of the reported incidents concerned suspects stealing eight pairs of sun shades. Three others included thieves ripping off three to 6 pairs of sun shades.
A spokesperson for Faneuil Corridor Market instructed the Herald that every tenant comprising the mixed-use business middle is answerable for safety inside their locations of enterprise.
Officers are working with Sunglass Hut and detectives with the Boston Police Division, addressing methods for the shop to “better mitigate the risk of theft going forward.”
“Faneuil Hall Marketplace is committed to the viability and safety of its world-class site,” {the marketplace} spokesperson stated. “As such, it has security personnel on site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to conduct patrols of the property to ensure the safety of all visitors.”
Final yr, authorities arrested a 50-year-old Boston man, Roberto Alves, in reference to 10 shoplifting incidents on the downtown Sunglass Hut, in response to reviews. Police found Alves hiding $2,009 price of sun shades on him, with safety tags nonetheless hooked up.
Alves pleaded responsible to shoplifting on the Faneuil Corridor Sunglass Hut final July, earlier than authorities in Somerville nabbed him later that summer time for allegedly stealing over $100,000 price of merchandise from the Meeting Row Sunglass Hut.
By way of the primary half of this yr, shoplifting was up 15% in Boston in comparison with the identical interval final yr, Police Commissioner Michael Cox stated in July.
Shoplifting additionally spiked 55% between the primary half of 2024 in comparison with the identical interval in 2019 throughout the hub, in response to information from the Council for Felony Justice.
To attempt to cut back shoplifting within the metropolis, the BPD launched a secure purchasing initiative in March 2024, partnering with retailers and the Suffolk County District Lawyer’s Workplace.
DA Kevin Hayden stood agency earlier this summer time that his workplace seeks to divert, reasonably than prosecute, sure low-level shoplifting offenders on the situation that the beginner bandits take part in a voluntary diversion program.
Cease & Store has additionally been hit onerous by shoplifting.
Roger Wheeler, president of the Quincy-based regional grocery store chain, revealed this previous spring that the corporate had been confronted with “more economic challenges than ever before,” together with organized retail crime. Theft and a slew of different elements prompted an escalation in costs.
Cease & Store lowered its costs on 1000’s of things in late August, in a separate initiative, however an organization consultant instructed the Herald that curbing shoplifting remained on its radar.
The BPD is encouraging anybody with data concerning the shoplifting spree at Faneuil Corridor to contact detectives at (617) 343-4571. The division added that images and movies associated to the investigation could also be submitted anonymously.
“We are also working with retailers to try to target harden locations,” the BPD spokesperson instructed the Herald, “and sharing practices to cut down on retail theft, but first and foremost to keep shoppers and staff in these locations safe.”
