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.