Lebanon police see 70% increase in shoplifting from 2022 to 2023
LEBANON, Tenn. (WKRN) — Lebanon Police have seen a 70% increase in shoplifting between 2022 and 2023. The department is taking an aggressive approach to catch retail thieves in the act.
“Communities are not immune to shoplifting. Most of the shoplifting we see are at the chain stores, Walmart, Kroger, Dollar General,” said Zach Patton, Public Information Officer for Lebanon Police.
Since the Lebanon Outlet Mall closed its doors, Patton, said thieves are now targeting the big box stores. “Half of our shoplifting in the past two years has come from Walmart alone.”
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Lebanon police are taking to social media and asking people to be on the lookout for suspects accused of stealing in their community in plain sight.
Back in November, three individuals were charged with stealing thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from Hibbett Sports.
“And it turned out they had already been shoplifting in, I believe, Murfreesboro, Clarksville, and they’d already stolen several thousands of dollars worth of merchandise throughout the Middle Tennessee area,” Patton said.
When it comes to shoplifting, Patton said the tactics are nothing new. “Sometimes we see shoplifters just walking out of the stores. Other times we see shoplifters doing skip scanning where you go through self-checkout and scan an item then put two items in your bag.”
One way the department is deterring shoplifters is through a camera trailer that moves throughout the city.
In the past, it’s been placed on the Lebanon Square where most shops are local.
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“And we are able to access that camera 24/7. It has a 360-degree view and blue lights on it. So sometimes the presence of just that trailer alone will deter shoplifters,” Patton said.
It’s just one deterrent as the Lebanon Police Department saw a 70% increase in shoplifting from 2022 to 2023. “In 2022 we had 127; in 2023 we had 216,” Patton said.
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