Unfortunately, the holiday shopping season also means an increase in the number of retail thefts that MPD officers respond to. Some of these incidents involve sophisticated schemes, involving multiple people and stores. Losses for businesses can run into the tens of thousands of dollars.
In addition to investigating retail thefts after they occur, MPD officers seek to work with businesses to prevent retail thefts from happening in the first place. For example, the physical layout of a store and the number/placement of store employees can have a significant impact on retail thefts.
Members of the West District's Community Policing Team recently walked through West Towne Mall, making contacts with businesses to pass on retail theft prevention tips.
