SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. – Law enforcement were put on high alert.
They told WREG a disturbing crime is sweeping the nation, and Shelby County is no exception.
Smash and grab robberies have become a new trend.
WREG learned criminals entered stores, restaurants and crowded malls, broke anything that stood in their way and made off with the loot in seconds.
“We would assume they had to use some sort of tool, whether that was a crowbar or something to smash it,” said Kye Holder, an employee at Outdoor Inc. on Union Avenue.
A group of crooks hit the store earlier this year.
They smashed a hole in the door and climbed through.
Holder said the criminals then bashed the front counter, swiped expensive watches and escaped in 90 seconds.
“They easily made it off with two to three grand of merchandise,” said Holder. “There’s nothing really we can do except file a report and hope that some of this stuff turns up, or they try to sell it online, and we catch them that way.”
“Most of the time they are extremely difficult to catch,” said Shelby County Asst. Chief Deputy Mark Dunbar.
He said the criminals are getting bolder, and the cases are becoming harder to crack.
Most of the time, they are carried out by traveling gangs who target high-end goods.
“I hate to say this, but practice makes perfect for some of them. They start this and know what to do and how to evade law enforcement,” said Dunbar.
Just this year, there were 53 reported smash and grabs in Memphis, nine in the county and a couple in Millington.
Often, the thieves struck at night, but some happened during business hours.
Their victims included restaurants, stores, malls, gas stations and even churches.
“When there are high-end goods to be had, they are going to find a way to get them and sell them on the streets,” said Dunbar.
Last year, a group of bandits created chaos in Wolfchase Galleria when they barged into Reed’s Jewelers.
They used hammers to pound on the glass and stole $700,000 worth of watches.
It took weeks to solve the crime.
The suspects were eventually caught in Texas.
That’s because thieves hit one city and immediately move to the next.
With every move so calculated, it’s hard to predict when they’ll strike again.
It’s hard to know when they’ll strike again.
Shelby County deputies said they are remaining vigilant and are working with other agencies across the country to nab the thieves.
