Crime & Safety
Short Hills Dior Purse Heist Would Be Addressed By Gang Shoplifting Law, Lawmaker Says
A viral video showed four men in masks grabbing $120K in Dior purses at the Mall at Short Hills. Jon Bramnick's got a bill for that.
MILLBURN, NJ — New Jersey legislation introduced in 2022 to combat "flash mob shoplifters who ransack stores and destroy small businesses" would help prevent thefts like the $120,000 Dior purse heist that took place at the Short Hills Mall on Monday, said State Sen. Jon Bramnick in a press release Wednesday.
In a quick theft that was caught on video on Monday morning, four men in masks and dark clothing swept into the Dior store in the Mall at Short Hills and grabbed 25 Dior purses worth $120,000. Then they fled.
The video shows the men running out of the store, and captures the voice a of an onlooker saying, "Everybody get out of the way. They're really aggressive. They're super-aggressive."
Find out what's happening in Millburn-Short Hillsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“The brazen theft that occurred in Short Hills is the latest example of gang shoplifting which has gotten completely out of control in the tri-state area. We’re seeing more and more instances where flash mobs of shoplifters run through high-end stores where they smash and grab anything that isn’t bolted down,” said Bramnick (R-21).
He added, “If people want to do these crimes, they need to get the message that their next flash mob will be in jail. Now is the time for the Legislature to approve my bill so that we can
get this epidemic under control.”
Find out what's happening in Millburn-Short Hillsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Bramnick’s bill, S-3048, creates the third-degree crime of gang shoplifting, which would be punishable by at least a year in jail during which the person would not be eligible for parole.
The sudden theft was so frightening to employees of the Dior store that they ran to the back of the store, Millburn police said on Tuesday.
The police had responded around 10:44 a.m. Monday to the store.
"Dior associates ran to a back room for safety and called police," police said in a release. "When the police arrived, the actors had already fled in a black SUV."
The Millburn Police Detective Bureau is investigating.
Just Talk And No Action?
Meanwhile, some activists believe that a wave of "tough on crime" bills in New Jersey may not actually prevent crimes. See related stories here:
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