Perfume Shoplifting, Mall Cops And The Fuzz

Workers in a West Des Moines fragrance and cosmetics store think they smell a pattern. On Sunday, one of them called police and was “very disgruntled” as she lay it all out,

The employee at Ulta, located in the village area of Jordan Creek Town Center was “very disgruntled” about three people who she said “keep stealing” from the store, Officer Jason Hatcher wrote in his report on file at the West Des Moines Police Department.

She reportedly told Hatcher she normally calls mall security when a theft is in process, but they have been able to catch the suspects in the act.

On Sunday, one of the suspects entered the store employees watched as he reportedly removed the tag from a bottle of Gucci cologne and conceal it on his person. Later, a man and woman entered the store. The employee said they didn’t act as if they knew one another, but she had seen them together on past occasions when merchandise turned up missing, according to the report.

Police weren't able to find the suspects, who were last seen on foot in the parking area. But they did find sales tags on the floor for  three bottles of bottles of Gucci Guilty Black fragrances for both men and women, with a combined value of about $175.

Another store employee reportedly told police the three “ask all the right questions,” such as what customers like about the fragrances and their overall popularity, “and act like they are really interested in the products Ulta sells.”

The pattern has been for the suspects to make a purchase with cash after several minutes of engaging clerks in conversation. Once they’re gone, the store employees start finding abandoned tags, according to the report.

They’ve been in the store at least two other times, including once around Christmas when it’s believed they were  involved in the theft of numerous items, according to Hatcher’s report.

Police will review video surveillance tapes, according to the report.

Source

My observation, Ulta need to better their security and it's not too complicated, each fragrance should be put behind a counter, and only samples attached to a table should be accessible to customers  Just like they do it in the cellphone companies. You can touch, smell and make love to them, but you cannot steal them.