Smash-and-Grab Thefts Are on the Rise Amid the Holiday Season

Smash and grabs and thefts are on the rise, especially during the holiday season.

In Chicago, a duo got away with more than $1 million in watches from a car dealership that also displays luxury watches. In a video captured of the moment, one of the guys stands on guard as the other smashes the case and grabs the watches. It all happened in under 20 seconds. 

Regular theft is on the rise as well as Christmas decorations are being stolen directly from people’s front yards, specifically inflatables. Richard Anderson told Inside Edition that he had two of them taken from his home in Houston, one of them being a blowup of Olaf from the movie “Frozen.”

“I don’t understand why anyone would steal them,” Anderson said. “I think they were $30. I mean what could used Christmas decorations go for these days?”

Officer Ryan Railsback of the Riverside Police in California said for many people it’s not just the theft, it’s the threat of invasion that people feel they’ve had on their home. Railsback recommended people install motion detection lights on their property.

“When they are coming up to a piece of property and all of a sudden several lights start shining on them, that could make them think twice about what they are going to do,” he said.

He also suggested securing decorations with cables or wires to make it harder for people to steal them. 

Related Stories