Police Ask Merchants To Be on Alert for Thefts

The holiday season means more crowds in the stores shopping, and Millburn police are warning merchants to be on alert for thefts.

Police Capt. James Miller, police public information officer, said police already have investigated a number of thefts where large quantities of merchandise were stolen. In , rain coats were taken from Saks Fifth Avenue and a rack of coats were stolen from Bloomingdale's. Miller said they've also seen incidents where someone has cleaned off a shelf of 30 sweaters.

"This is different than shoplifting; it's organized theft," he said. "It's not impulsive. They're professional shoplifters."

The biggest concern is at the Mall at Short Hills, he said, but all merchants should be aware of being distracted. Someone might engage them in conversation while another takes the merchandise, he said. They also could have one person serve as a lookout while the other takes the merchandise, he said.

Police also are seeing the use of specially-made bags—often called booster bags—in the thefts. The bags are handmade with a special lining to block the security sensors, Miller said. "They take a tremendous amount of work to make look normal," he said.

While he didn't have a number of incidents, Miller said the number of thefts can increase during the holiday season because it's so busy. "The criminals can blend into the crowd, and the staff might be more engaged with customers," he said. The best defense against the thefts, he said, is an alert sales staff.