Despite police sting, daytime thieves still stealing from Lowe’s store in Matthews
Undeterred by a police sting operation that netted 14 arrests in the spring, daytime thieves continue to steal items from a Lowe’s store in Matthews.
Police on Wednesday asked the public’s help in identifying two men who entered the store in the 2100 block of Matthews Township Parkway (N.C. 51) Monday afternoon and stole tools valued at $1,681.
In a news release, police released photos of the men but offered no details on the tools stolen and how police believe the men managed to leave with the items.
So many items were stolen from the store this year that police and Lowe’s security set up a sting operation from mid-April until mid-May, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.
The police operation included “surveillance, increased uniform and undercover patrols, intelligence and crime analysis,” according to a Matthews Police Department news release at the time.
The police effort followed a “significantly high number of thefts” over several months, police said in the release.
As a result of the sting, police filed a total of 30 charges, served 69 outstanding warrants and closed 16 larceny-from-auto and five mail theft/financial fraud cases by arrest, according to the release. Authorities recovered $5,870 in stolen property.
“Organized retail theft is unfortunately an ongoing problem for many jurisdictions in our region,” police said in the release at the time of the arrests. “We want our citizens, business owners and visitors to know that we are highly focused on this issue and will continue to use every measure at our disposal to combat it.”
Lowe’s is based in Mooresville.