TPD: Shoplifting, Car Burglaries Rise During Holiday Season

The holiday shopping season is in full swing, and that means criminals could be looking for opportunities to take advantage of retailers and shoppers.

Over the weekend, a mall security guard was hit by a getaway car after two women were caught shoplifting at Woodland Hills Mall.

Tulsa police say this time of year is prime time for thieves to steal from stores and from shoppers.

While shoppers spend the holiday season looking for the best deals in town, thieves are looking for the best steals.

Sergeant Shane Tuell with TPD said, "There are trends that show that larcenies and burglaries of motor vehicles spike during the holiday shopping season."

According to TPD, on Sunday, a security guard at Woodland Hills Mall noticed two women shoplifting and followed them outside into the parking lot.

Police said, in the process of confronting the women, they hit the guard with their car and sent him to the hospital.

"These individuals just don't think when they're trying to get away,” Tuell said. “It's all about them and not about anything peripheral that could happen, and that's what makes them very dangerous at times."

Last year, shoplifting and car burglaries in shopping areas rose steadily into the holiday season; TPD reports incidents increased from October to December.

Numbers show 1,174 incidents in October, those numbers jumped to 1,195 in November and top out at 1,200 in December.

This year, numbers are even higher. Already in October TPD reports more than 1,200 incidents in shopping areas.

But, police said there is a silver lining - these types of criminals are usually caught thanks to surveillance cameras.

Tuell said, "Everyone is watching, so why they continue to do it I don't know."

TPD has already started its safe shopping initiative and will be patrolling shopping areas throughout December.

Officers said the best way to stay safe is to always be mindful of your surroundings.