Faneuil Hall Marketplace falls victim to Boston shoplifting splurge

Thieves stealing goods and swag from high-end retailers continue to wallop Boston during a year that the city has seen an increase in shoplifting The Boston Police Department is seeking citizens assistance as it tries to hunt down a group of shoplifters who allegedly stole in luxurious merchandise from Sunglass Hut at Faneuil Hall this summer Sunglass Hut a storefront at Faneuil Hall Marketplace has been the target of a handful of broadcasted shoplifting incidents involving the same unidentified accused since June according to a BPD neighborhood advisory The incidents the first on June and the the bulk newest on Aug have routinely unfolded between Tuesday and Friday during the timeframe of to p m BPD highlighted that the individuals have taken away an estimated worth of merchandise from the sunglass store A BPD spokesperson noted to the Herald that none of the incidents highlighted in last week s alert have involved violence while adding that cracking down on shoplifting has been a priority The instances noted in this alert are like others we have seen where high-end retailers are repeatedly targeted the spokesperson reported the Herald We are working with all retailers to identify and address patterns and trends to prioritize repeat offenders high value offenders those involved in organized retail theft and offenders who may engage in intimidation threats or violence According to the BPD three of the revealed incidents involved subjects stealing eight pairs of sunglasses Three others included thieves ripping off three to six pairs of sunglasses A spokesperson for Faneuil Hall Marketplace advised the Herald that each tenant comprising the mixed-use commercial center is responsible for safeguard within their places of business Officers are working with Sunglass Hut and detectives with the Boston Police Department addressing procedures for the store to better mitigate the liability of theft going forward Faneuil Hall Marketplace is committed to the viability and safety of its world-class site the marketplace spokesperson mentioned As such it has assurance personnel on site hours a day days a week to conduct patrols of the property to ensure the safety of all visitors Last year administration arrested a -year-old Boston man Roberto Alves in connection with shoplifting incidents at the downtown Sunglass Hut according to reports Police discovered Alves hiding worth of sunglasses on him with precaution tags still attached Alves pleaded guilty to shoplifting at the Faneuil Hall Sunglass Hut last July before officers in Somerville nabbed him later that summer for allegedly stealing over worth of merchandise from the Assembly Row Sunglass Hut Through the first half of this year shoplifting was up in Boston compared to the same period last year Police Commissioner Michael Cox mentioned in July Shoplifting also spiked between the first half of compared to the same period in across the hub according to figures from the Council for Criminal Justice To try to reduce shoplifting in the city the BPD launched a safe shopping initiative in March partnering with retailers and the Suffolk County District Attorney s Office DA Kevin Hayden stood firm earlier this summer that his office seeks to divert rather than prosecute certain low-level shoplifting offenders on the condition that the newbie bandits participate in a voluntary diversion operation Stop Shop has also been hit hard by shoplifting Roger Wheeler president of the Quincy-based regional supermarket chain revealed this past spring that the company had been confronted with more economic challenges than ever before including organized retail crime Theft and a slew of other factors prompted an escalation in prices Stop Shop lowered its prices on thousands of items in late August in a separate initiative but a company representative recounted the Herald that curbing shoplifting remained on its radar The BPD is encouraging anyone with information regarding the shoplifting spree at Faneuil Hall to contact detectives at - The department added that photos and videos related to the assessment may be submitted anonymously We are also working with retailers to try to target harden locations the BPD spokesperson narrated the Herald and sharing practices to cut down on retail theft but first and foremost to keep shoppers and staff in these locations safe Boston Police are looking for help identifying individuals pictured at the Sunglass Hut in Faneuil Hall after a string of suspected larcenies Boston Police surveillance photo Boston Police are looking for help identifying individuals pictured at the Sunglass Hut in Faneuil Hall after a string of suspected larcenies Boston Police surveillance photo