The city ranks third in the country behind Atlanta and the Baltimore - Washington DC metro areas. This is not referring to individual shoplifters, stealing for themselves, but organized groups of professional thieves.
You may have heard how laundry detergent has become a commodity of choice, where criminals steal it and then sell it for near-retail price on the street.
Here are some other commonly stolen items:
- Cigarettes
- Baby formula
- Denim jeans
- Designer clothing
- Allergy medicine
- Pregnancy tests
- Cellphones
- GPS devices
- High-end vacuums
- KitchenAid mixers
Ninety-six percent of retailers say they have been hit, and it's big money, with annual losses estimated between $15 and $30 billion.
