Thieves target female shoe shoppers
Criminals are now targeting women shopping for shoes.
Female shoe shoppers have become the latest target of criminals, following a number of theft cases in different shops opened in the east of Pretoria.
Brooklyn police spokesperson Captain Colette Weilbach said female shoppers should avoid leaving their handbags on the floor or a bench while trying on shoes. “The handbag often remains there while the shopper walks around to try out the shoes. Criminals see an opportunity in this shoe-shopping ritual, and are using it to steal from shoppers,” she said.
She said perpetrators usually worked in groups, with one person distracting the shopper while the other steals items from the handbag.
Weilbach also warned shoppers against leaving their handbags in their shopping trolleys. “The same thing happens – one person distracts the shopper and the other does the stealing. The perpetrators sometimes bump their target with a trolley as part of the distraction.”
Reported thieves are often described as neat, well-dressed black females who are sometimes accompanied by men, Weilbach said. She said mothers with children were also being targeted. “We urge people not to trust strangers blindly and to be aware of their surroundings. Valuables such as handbags, purses and cellphones must always remain under the shopper’s direct control.”
She urged the public to report any suspicious persons or criminal acts to the store manager immediately, as well as to the police.
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