Unsolved thefts
• Twenty-two pair of sunglasses valued at $1,500 were stolen from Sunglass Hut on Aug. 24, 2009. No suspect was identified.
• A man stole a man’s ring while a salesperson in Ultra Diamonds was distracted during a theft on Sept. 22, 2009. The ring is described as platinum with 40 princess cut diamonds, valued at $12,999. Suspect was described as a black male.
• A man also came into Ultra Diamonds on Jan. 8, 2010, and allegedly asked to see a pair of 1 1/2 carat diamond yellow gold earrings from one of the jewelry cases, which the clerk reported the man took. Suspect was described as a black male.
• A man who allegedly took a ring described as a 2.5 carat princess cut with yellow and white diamonds set on a 14-carat white gold band valued at $16,329 on Feb. 19, from Ultra Diamonds. Suspect was described as a black male.
Source: Monroe Police Dept.
MONROE — Thieves considering stealing items from stores at Cincinnati Premium Outlets should really reconsider, one Monroe police detective is saying.
That’s because the Monroe Police Department is being proactive in arresting criminals at the mall near Interstate 75 off Ohio 73 in Warren County, said Detective Ken Parson.
“This is not the place to hit because you’re very likely to be arrested. If you’re a thief, do not come to the Monroe outlet mall,” he said.
Since the mall opened in August 2009, there have been a total of 109 calls, with 46 of those reported as thefts and 23 of those thefts resulting in arrests for a 50 percent success rate, he said.
“It’s also important for us to note that if you add in things like how quickly they call us after it occurs, the chances of us making an arrest are really good,” Parson said.
Police Officer Mike Worley, who recently was named the department’s new community service officer, said a lot of those 23 arrests came from Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th, which has its own security personnel.
“They’re on the ball,” Parson said.
He said some of the unsolved cases the department is working on were reported by tenants at the mall who have refused to cooperate even when the suspect is known.
“We went to a managers meeting a few days ago and it seemed like the attitude from lot of the corporate offices was this is an outlet mall so this is a second chance to recover money from purchases anyway. So it’s not as if they’re primary stores. If it’s a primary store and you’re stealing from them and they’re losing more money, they’re more apt to prosecute,” Worley said.
“I try to relay to them that as a good, safe community and you’re a new business here, you all have a right to help us protect this community.”
Parson said most of the thefts are occurring in name brand stores that have greater resale — especially kids clothing stores — like The Children’s Place Outlet, OshKosh B’gosh, Coach, Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th and the Gap.
The suspects travel along the interstate in groups of three or four and go into stores and while some suspects steal merchandise the other members distract store employees to mostly help support drug habits or rings, Worley said.
“Most of the people we arrest come from Dayton,” Parson said.
“When we actually arrest these people and we talk to them usually what we’re told is that when they come here they don’t just come to here to take things from our stores, They also go to places like Lowe’s, Home Depot, Meijer and all around,” he said.
Worley said the suspects know it’s relatively safe because the chances of being prosecuted are slim.
“There’s limited risk and a lot of reward,” he said.
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