The Flash Rob

The Flash Rob

by J.J. Lewsac

 

There seems to be a new disturbing trend in youth crimes, as reports of  ”Flash Robberies” have begun popping up across the country. A Flash rob occurs when a dozen or more people storm into a business and quickly begin stealing merchandise, vandalizing the property, and terrorizing the businesses employees. This tactic has become fairly effective against small businesses who only have a handful of employees. The sheer number of rowdy teenagers storming through the doors and wreaking havoc on a storefront is very intimidating, and with only a handful of workers, there is little resistance from the employees as they fear for their safety.

WPIX in New York recently reported on such an event as a local Dunkin’ Donuts’ store was rushed by about two dozen youths, who began stealing frozen drinks, destroying a hot chocolate machine, and hurling chairs and tables throughout the store. Customers and workers caught in the middle were shaken by the 7 minute rampage. That story and the surveillance video can be seen here:

Fox News also reported on this growing trend, and noted a convenience store that was robbed in Las Vegas by a large group of teens. $600 of merchandise and the store clerks cell phone were taken. The surveilance footage of that robbery can be seen here:

 

These are just a few of the many reports that have been popping up in recent months. The motives for the robberies are not quite clear. It could range from thrill seeking teenagers with a sense of security and invulnerability from being in a large group, that they can do whatever they want, to something as vain as just wanting to seem themselves on TV. Whatever the reasons, the results can be traumatizing for store owners and employees.

While not much can be done to stop the act while it is occurring, the best weapon in the fight against this growing crime is the surveillance footage captured in the aftermath. With such a large number of people seen on the videos above, police have successfully used the captured footage being aired on local news stations to turn up leads and proper identification of the suspects from friends and family members of the suspects who happen to see the broadcasts.

The best camera set up to use against such a crime would be to place as high a resolution camera possible zoomed in on the door to get detailed images of the suspects faces as they enter the business. Several wide angle cameras placed around the store would then provide a record of what items these individuals were stealing or vandalizing. A few additional cameras outside of the store can be helpful in seeing what kind of vehicles these kids are getting into, or the direction they flee.  An additional hidden camera inside an exit sign is the perfect compliment to any stores security system, as this could be placed at a rear exit and could even be used to investigate internal theft. Armed with this footage, police will have no problem bringing the suspects to justice. Once teenagers see their friends a peers getting hauled off by the police, the appeal of a “flash rob” will begin to fade.

In the News, part 13

In the News, part 13

by J.J. Lewsac

 

Pawn shops are a frequent target for theft. Contributing reasons for that are a small staff, little in the way of theft deterrence,  and easily accessible valuable merchandise. All of these factor into your average pawn shop being a regular stop for thieves.

One such theft was recently caught on surveillance camera, according to a story coming from NBC4 out of Columbus, OH. A man enters a pawn shop on the east side of Columbus, and approaches a clerk behind the counter. The clerk is distracted as he appears to be on the phone. The man see’s a window of opportunity, and reaches behind the counter sliding the unlocked door open, and promtly removes a bracelet valued at $600 dollars. The man continues to stand around, giving the appearance he has business to conduct. The clerk, oblivious to the theft, doesn’t even notice the man reach behind the counter a second time to close the door. Read more »

Who Is Watching the Nanny?

Who is Watching the Nanny?

by J.J. Lewsac

The safety and well-being of children is the primary concern of any parent. In today’s world, most families feature a working father and a working mother, making it necessary for a nanny to care for the children during the day. Despite the care taken to select one with excellent credentials, or even an extended family member or longtime friend, when the time comes to actually leave children in someone else’s care, it can be a difficult decision for a parent to leave their child in the care of another. Read more »

In the News, part 12

In the News, part 12

by J.J. Lewsac

 

One of the most frightening ordeals one could go through would be as the victim in an armed robbery. Such was the case for a couple of store clerks in a liquor store in Temple Hills, Maryland.

According to the story by Fox5 two individuals walked into the store. They were not wearing masks, hoodies, or anything else that might give away their intentions. After several minutes of browsing the store they approached the counter casually. That is when one of the individuals circled around the counter, pulled a gun out, and held it to one of the clerk’s heads. Read more »

In The News, part 11

In the News, part 11

by J.J. Lewsac

 

It is not unusual to hear stories about stupid criminals. The subject can be easily seen on television shows dedicated to them, or are       often humorous news stories reported by local stations. The stories that don’t receive much attention though are the ones which feature stupid victims. Such is the case out of a story from WLKY in Louisville, Kentucky. According to the report, a man stole thousands of dollars’ worth of belongings from over 2 dozen cars in a single night. The thefts, some of which were caught on a home surveillance system, took place late at night and into the early morning in a quiet Louisville community. Read more »