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CHEWING GUM THEFTS INCREASING
Hartford Courant - Reports of people stealing chewing gum are rising, police say. There's apparently a market for stolen gum, just as there is for expensive valuables such as jewelry or tools. "We've had a number of larceny cases recently involving thefts of substantial amounts of chewing gum," New Britain State's Attorney Scott Murphy said Friday.
"What the motive is, we don't know. But gum thefts are increasing." Gum thievery first popped into Connecticut headlines in March, when police in Bridgeport, Fairfield and Stratford charged Kenneth McManus, 21, of Stratford, with shoplifting $800 worth of Orbit chewing gum from stores in each city.
Since June, West Hartford police have investigated four gum theft complaints . . . Police in West Hartford and elsewhere say that gum thieves want something they can sell quickly. That's what the man who swiped several hundred packs of Orbitz in Bridgeport, Fairfield and Stratford told police.
"He told us he did it to support a drug addiction," Fairfield Sgt. James Perez said Friday. "It's kind of weird. But really not surprising. There's an entire black market all across Connecticut, where people sell stolen merchandise on the street and to businesses. People peddle stolen meat, fish, candy, gum, almost anything."
A box of stolen chewing gum is not a road to riches, but it does have resale value, Perez said. Plus, chewing gum is hard to trace and is much easier to conceal than other items targeted by shoplifters, such as cans of baby formula or frozen seafood, he said.
"What the motive is, we don't know. But gum thefts are increasing." Gum thievery first popped into Connecticut headlines in March, when police in Bridgeport, Fairfield and Stratford charged Kenneth McManus, 21, of Stratford, with shoplifting $800 worth of Orbit chewing gum from stores in each city.
Since June, West Hartford police have investigated four gum theft complaints . . . Police in West Hartford and elsewhere say that gum thieves want something they can sell quickly. That's what the man who swiped several hundred packs of Orbitz in Bridgeport, Fairfield and Stratford told police.
"He told us he did it to support a drug addiction," Fairfield Sgt. James Perez said Friday. "It's kind of weird. But really not surprising. There's an entire black market all across Connecticut, where people sell stolen merchandise on the street and to businesses. People peddle stolen meat, fish, candy, gum, almost anything."
A box of stolen chewing gum is not a road to riches, but it does have resale value, Perez said. Plus, chewing gum is hard to trace and is much easier to conceal than other items targeted by shoplifters, such as cans of baby formula or frozen seafood, he said.
1 Comments:
Is there a more petty crime hat stealing gum? This seems like something from Bugsy Malone.
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