From Hollister to Sears, thefts are on the rise

Here are some clippings from the MetroWest Daily News/Natick Bulletin & TAB:

• On Wednesday, June 21, at 2:43 p.m., three Brockton women were arrested after police said they shoplifted at the Hollister Company at the Natick Mall. [They] were all charged with shoplifting of property worth more than $100 and conspiracy to commit a crime, police said. According to police, Acardoso was also charged with conspiracy.

• On Friday, June 23, at 6:35 p.m., a Brighton man was arrested after police said he shoplifted at Sears in the Natick Mall. [He] was charged with shoplifting, police said.

• On Saturday, June 24, at 9:06 p.m., a Worcester woman was arrested after police said she shoplifted at the Natick Mall. [She] was charged with larceny of property worth more than $250, police said.

• FRAMINGHAM -- A homeless man was arrested Saturday after police became suspicious of him pushing a shopping cart down the middle of Rte. 30 with cars driving on either side of him while wearing a winter coat with temperatures in the 80s. [He] told police he took the items in the carts -- shirts and electronic equipment with tags still on them -- from his ex-girlfriend's house. But, police said, he stole the merchandise from several stores at the Natick Mall.

• A Newton woman was arrested Saturday at 9:29 pm after police said she shoplifted from Brookestone's in the Natick Mall.

So, what's similar here?

1. All are thefts
2. All took place at the Natick Mall
3. Almost all of the thieves live in communities that are much closer to other malls.

While these are the reports over the past few weeks, it seems to be a little high. It doesn't seem that there are any specific stores targetted: one man was caught at Sears, a trio was caught at Hollister. But isn't it ironic that none of the thieves (OK, one of them) live nearby? There's a Hollister in Taunton (at Silver City Galleria) for the Brockton girls, and a Sears at CambridgeSide Galleria for the Brighton guy. Is it possible that it is easier to shoplift at Natick than it is at these other malls?

How will Natick combat shoplifting? Supposedly, the mall expansion was going to include a satellite police station, but who knows if that's still on the plans. Hopefully the satellite office won't fare as poorly as Framingham's Shopper's World precinct did (now you ask, there was a police station at Shopper's World?).

With more luxury retail slated for the new "Natick", drawing from a greater distance than ever before, police will have to watch out for more than just Hollister. Hopefully, General Growth and the Natick Mall will give the authorities the facilities necessary to keep the new and old malls safe.