Holiday Shopping Season Means Shoplifting Season for Local Police
As the holidays arrive, so too do the annual holiday-related fears of shoplifting, and this year, a couple of Massachusetts police departments are getting active on policing that front.
Chelmsford Police are deploying a high-visibility presence at shopping areas as part of what they call HSAP, or “Holiday Shoplifting Action Plan,’’ police said in a statement. Those holiday-related crimes include the rote shoplifting as well as breaking and entering into vehicles, purse snatching, robbery, and traffic and parking-related problems.
“These people are often not just grabbing and going — they may break into cars, buy and sell drugs, or drive under the influence,’’ Chelmsford Deputy Police Chief Daniel Ahern said.
Bedford Police took on a similar mission in Operation PACE, or Pro-Active Community Enforcement. The plan included a heavier police presence, particularly at a TJ Maxx beloved by shoplifters.
As police told WBZ last year, a large percentage of shoplifting is conducted by well-organized groups.
“They are very well organized. They do their surveillance when they come into the property. They will do their surveillance when they come into the store,’’ Peabody police detective Ralph Scopa said. “They might even have someone working inside the store that they want to steal from.’’
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