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BY DAN HINKEL
dhinkel@nwitimes.com
219.933.4183 | Monday, December 04, 2006 | (No comments posted.)
Each holiday season, police departments and media remind people they would make fine targets for criminals.
Retailers prepare for billions in shoplifting losses.
The National Crime Prevention Council issues a pamphlet warning that crooks love the holidays because the season makes "an opportune time for crime."
Do we really have more to fear during the holidays? And, if so, what can we do to protect ourselves?
The Times talked to police, security experts and academics for answers.
Does crime really leap?
Local police didn't agree on a spike in general holiday season crime, but officials said a few specific crimes jump each year.
"One of your biggest things is thefts from vehicles," said Assistant Chief Hollis Dorrough of the South Holland Police Department.
And more pockets are picked and purses snatched during the holidays, police agreed. Women make popular targets, Lansing Police Chief Daniel McDevitt said.
"Not that there aren't some (thieves) that can do it, but it's a ... lot harder to get a wallet out of a man's pants," he said.
You might think burglaries would increase during the holidays, when homes are filled with new merchandise. But only one police official reported an increase in burglaries during the holidays. Burglaries shoot up in Gary during the holidays, said Lt. Roger Smith, a 23-year veteran of the department.
Crown Point Assistant Chief Eldon Strong said scams and frauds increase during the holidays. "People have a tendency to give. They become more susceptible to being a victim," he said.
At the Westfield Southlake mall in Hobart, a Hobart police officer patrols the mall during all its open hours.
Despite its vast parking lots, car break-ins aren't a major problem, said Sgt. Greg Viator, who has supervised mall patrols for 14 years. The most common police issues at the mall are parking lot crashes and shoplifting, Viator said. While shoplifting increases near the holidays, Viator said, seasonal shoplifting has slid downward in recent seasons.
Porter County police Cpl. Rich Howard, who spends some of his off-duty time working at a local discount department store, said the number of shoppers doubles at this time of year.
"The mere fact that there's more people, I'd say yes (that shoplifting increases)," Howard said.
Police generally warn that aside from shoplifting, other crimes, like thefts of wallets or purses, also can increase because stores are busy and people get distracted.
"Everything increases during the holiday season because you have more people shopping," said Sgt. Michael Grennes, Valparaiso police spokesman.
'Myth' of holiday crime
Neither residents nor retailers face dramatic jumps in old-fashioned, hands-on crime, said Chris McGoey, a security consultant for retailers nationwide. Stores are busier and malls are more stressful, but stores and parking lots are full of potential witnesses, he said.
Neither McGoey nor Purdue University Calumet criminologist Richard Van Orman could pinpoint any national crime statistics on the topic, but Van Orman agreed that crime as a whole doesn't increase during the holidays.
Other than the depressing uptick in suicides -- killing oneself is illegal -- crime actually may decrease during the holidays, Van Orman said.
The National Retail Federation estimated stores lost $37.4 billion to crime in 2005. The federation said retailers expect to lose $3.5 billion on fraudulent returns alone this holiday season.
The biggest problems don't come from shoplifters, McGoey said, but from employees and criminals committing fraud.
Stores hire squadrons of temporary workers. Some of those workers steal or allow their friends to steal. Permanent employees blame temporary workers for their crimes after the temps are gone, McGoey said.
Credit and debit card fraud is the frontier for holiday crime, McGoey said. Businesses are running more cards, and are less likely to spot stolen cards, he said.
Times staff writer Ken Kosky contributed to this report.
Tips
Local police officers gave the following advice to avoid becoming a holiday season crime victim:
-- Put presents in the trunk, or at least out of view. Get them home as soon as you can.
-- Park in a well-lit area.
-- A woman should carry her purse on her strong arm, to the front and, if possible, underneath a coat.
-- Stay on your toes. Neighbors can be key to preventing burglaries.
-- To avoid charity scams, be wary of anyone who calls or comes to your door. Give to charities you know to be authentic.
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