As part of the launch of investigations into crime trends in the region the Dayton Daily News is focusing this week on what issues residents face in five local communities. Stories will be delivered throughout the year and past articles will be available at DaytonDailyNews.com.
MORE: Teen crime, thefts and drugs top concerns for area police chiefs
In Beavercreek, major retailers in the city get the majority of the police activity. Walmart, the Mall at Fairfield Commons, Von Maur and other stores and retail centers are the top locations where Beavercreek officers are called to.
With 205 incidents, Walmart topped the list in 2018, while Meijer on Colonel Glenn Highway and Von Maur on Magnolia Lane rounded out the top five list, with 107 and 30 calls respectively, according to the records.
Reports of thefts have increased each year in Beavercreek since 2014, topping out at 1,115 last year, according to the records.
The trend is mirrored on the national level, with shoplifter apprehensions and dollar recoveries increasing in eight of the last 10 years, according to the 30th Annual Retail Theft Survey published by the loss-prevention consulting firm Jack L. Hayes International Inc.
MORE: After a ‘remarkable year’ for crime decreases in Dayton, here’s what data show for 2018
Recoveries from shoplifters where no apprehension was made increased for the 21st consecutive year, according to the survey of 21 of the nation’s largest retailers, representing 16,409 stores.
“Theft continues to plague the retail industry, with shoplifting leading the way,” said Patrick Oliver, associate professor of criminal justice at Cedarville University.
Higher-end retailers are located in middle to upper-middle income communities like Beavercreek, “where people have the money to buy what they’re selling,” said Oliver, a former Fairborn police chief who worked in law enforcement for 28 years.
“Those communities are going to experience a significant amount of retail theft,” he said.
Beavercreek’s annual crime report shows robberies are down, but that trend may also be tied to retail thefts. Robberies are attempts at theft that involve physical interaction with the victim and possible threats or intimidation of them.
MORE: Chief: Drug use drives hundreds more thefts in Huber Heights
There were seven robberies in 2018 and nine in 2017, while there was an average of 16 each year from 2014 to 2016, according to the records.
Evers said when robberies were at their higher amounts it was the result of shoplifters getting into fights with store employees to avoid capture, which elevates the crime from theft to robbery.
“Those reportings are down and could be attributable to the retailers choosing not to stop those violators,” Evers said.
Oliver said there may be a decrease in employees confronting shoplifters “because more people have weapons.”
“There’s an increase in assaults in society so they’re not going to put themselves at risk,” Oliver said. “I think we’re in a moral decline in our society. That’s why we’re seeing an increase in criminal offenses, particularly non-violent offenses such as these.”
Identity thefts and fraud-related crimes are also on the rise in Beavercreek.
In 2010, the department received 48 reports of ID theft and fraud complaints from residents; last year, the department received 173 such reports. The activity spiked in 2016 with 207 complaints, according to the records.
“The increase is a result of efforts on the part of criminals to gain access to other people’s personal information and then using that information to steal or commit fraud,” Evers said.
Evers said the biggest crime concerns in Beavercreek are those that escalate and could result in someone being hurt.
STAY CONNECTED: Greene County News on Facebook
“This potential exists during a burglary where someone is likely to be home, or where a suspect has been caught stealing and chooses not to be detained by a homeowner or personnel of a business,” he said. “These type of thefts are usually escalated to potential injury because the suspect will do whatever is necessary to get away and not go to jail.”
While Beavercreek saw a significant decrease in overdose incidents 2018 from past years, according to the records, the addiction crisis remains a driving force behind the rash of thefts, Evers said.
“The primary impact on our community associated with the opioid crisis is the high frequency of thefts and property related crimes committed by drug users as a means to support their drug habit,” Evers said.
Evers said social media is one of several tools they are using in an effort to engage the entire community in crime prevention.
“Our social media efforts have resulted in more dialogue with residents and has increased the awareness of residents to what is occurring as far as crime trends not only in their neighborhood but across the city,” Evers said.
Other crime prevention strategies are proving effective, including tip411 and Coplogic, which enables citizens to report crimes, identify suspects and provide other information by phone or online and do so anonymously.
READ MORE ARTICLES BY THIS REPORTER
How to report crime in Beavercreek
Non-emergency: Call 426-5100
Online: A Citizens Online Reporting System can be accessed from the Beavercreek police website beavercreekohio.gov/197/police. Look for the Coplogic icon to report crimes anonymously.
FOURTH OF SIX PARTS
The Dayton Daily News this week examines crime concerns and trends in area communities.
SUNDAY: An overview of some of the largest communities.
MONDAY: Dayton
TUESDAY: Huber Heights
TODAY: Beavercreek
THURSDAY: Miamisburg
FRIDAY: Springboro
About the Author