Edmonton police issued a warning to residents Friday, in the wake of a series of purse thefts at grocery stores.
Police said they have received more than 10 reports of thefts, the most recent incident took place Friday, February 23, in the parking lot of a grocery store in the area of 185 Street and Stony Plain Road. In that case, police said a shopper was reportedly returning her cart to the cart stand when her purse was taken from the front passenger seat of her car.
A number of similar incidents have been reported in grocery store parking lots in west, southwest, and northwest Edmonton.
In each case, the suspect reportedly waits until the suspect is distracted or away from their cart or vehicle, and then takes the purse from the cart or out of an unlocked car. The number of suspects involved in each case varies, in some cases one suspect is involved, in other cases up to three have been reported – suspects have included males and females.
As a result, police are reminding Edmontonians to be aware of their possessions and surroundings.
“If you’ve had your purse stolen in a similar way or have noticed any suspicious activity while in a parking lot, please give us a call,” Det. Richard Windover, with EPS West Division, said in a statement.
Anyone with details that could help police in their investigation is asked to call the Edmonton Police Service non-emergency line at 780-423-4567 or #377 on a mobile phone.
Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
