Crime Conundrum: Shoplifting Decreasing At Prince George's Plaza

Crime is dropping in Hyattsville, just as it is in other parts of Prince George’s County, but shoplifting remains the city’s most significant crime problem, police say.

, according to police reports. Ward 4, which has the highest crime rate in Hyattsville, saw 34 cases of shoplifting last November. That’s compared to 24 in November 2010 and 35 in November 2009.

Even so, with the holiday season here, police are urging residents to take caution in shopping centers. Sgt. Chris Purvis, of the , said the city will begin random patrols through Christmas.

“" Purvis said. "We try to make sure people put the items in their trunk and drive away to another spot like they’re leaving, because you never know who’s watching."

The is the site of most shoplifting, Purvis added.

“Our most prevalent crime, that’s where it is. There’s a lot of shoplifting going on,” Purvis said. “That’s the only mall we have. There’s no other big retail establishment around.”

While Beltway Plaza Mall and Wheaton Mall are relatively close to Hyattsville and are Metro accessible, The Mall at Prince Georges is centrally located between Maryland and the District, as well as the University of Maryland at College Park, Catholic University, Howard University and more.

“That doesn’t mean it’s not safe,” Purvis said. “It’s property crime, not crime against people.”

Purvis said most of the thefts at the mall are misdemeanors because they involve losses of less than $1,000. Anyone suspected of shoplifting is charged on site and released with a citation.

“A lot of people, when we bring them in, have money to pay for what they have stolen,” Purvis said. “Usually, they’re like ‘Hey, can I just pay for this now and make it go away?’”

In its efforts to lower property crime rates, There are security officers at every exit of the mall, an officer outside and cameras throughout the mall.

“[Shoplifting] casts a negative light on the mall and the people who live in the region,” Nusirat Balogun, a regular shopper who lives in Bladensburg, said.  “When people come here they want to shop without seeing people follow them around or see mall cops.”

Purvis said the shoplifting problem still baffles him.

"The mall’s loaded with cameras.” He added, “We work part-time at the mall and we have an officer working part-time at . With a police car parked right in front, people still attempt to come in and shoplift.”

The mall employees monitor the cameras to provide a safe environment for people to shop. The staff also monitors people’s behavior.

“If you have three people huddling around a rack and two people keep looking over their shoulders while one person shoves an item into a bag, it sticks out pretty big on a camera. They’re trained to look for that,” Purvis said.

Jessica Holton, a sales associate at Bath & Body Works, said the best way to is to “offer great customer service.” Holton said that by acknowledging and greeting everyone who walks in her store, people are less likely to try to “help themselves.”

“Bad guys don’t want to be seen. Bad guys want to remain anonymous,” Purvis said.

Editor's Note: This post is a part of a larger series about crime in Prince George's County. Click here to see more stories on the Crime Conundrum.