Holidays Bring Spike in Retail Thefts

It usually starts the day after Thanksgiving.

Shoppers pack the stores, looking to get the best bargains on Christmas gifts for their loved ones. But the holiday shopping season also means a spike in retail thefts, according to police.

"I think there's probably a little bit of an increase for the holiday season," said Romeoville Assistant Chief Steven Lucchesi. The most common items stolen from local stores include cosmetics, alcohol, electronics like cameras and video games, clothing and food, he noted.

To combat an increase in thefts, police are stepping up their patrols in and around retail centers, Lucchesi said.

Since September, Romeoville police have fielded 40 reports of retail theft from local merchants, Lucchesi added, noting half of the reports have come in since the beginning of November.

Police have made 44 arrests — 31 adults and 13 juveniles — for theft in the same time period, he noted. Now, Lucchesi said, cops are cracking down near shopping centers.

"We're also increasing foot patrols," he said. "We do want to make sure we're addressing this."

He acknowledged the increase could be due not only to the holidays, but also to more vigilant store employees.

"It's possible that the increase we've season in retail thefts is due to the holiday season, but our statistic is driven by the internal policies that govern the reporting of this crime by individual stores," Lucchesi said. "If the store reports the crime more frequently, of course our statistic would show an increase."