As the holidays approach, Butler Township police Chief John Hays and Cranberry Township Police Department’s Lt. Chuck Mascellino expect to see an increase in shoplifting offenses.

The two Butler County police departments often respond to shoplifting at area stores, but the thefts tend to increase over the winter months, with a notable jump in numbers leading up to Christmas.

“September (the past two years) they seem to go up until about March or April,” Hays said. “Over my years here, there’s an uptick around the holidays, as it gets closer to Christmas.”

In the southwestern part of Butler County, Cranberry Township sees between 20 and 30 thefts per month, Mascellino said.

“(Stores) try to do their best all year,” he said. “When self-checkouts came into effect, there was a big uptick in (thefts).”

Mascellino said some stores will increase the amount of loss prevention personnel as an extra precaution around the holidays.

According to Hays, Butler Township police investigate the most retail thefts at Walmart and Sheetz locations.

“I think a lot of it depends on what security is doing,” he said. “Walmart apprehends quite a few.”

He added the thefts can often occur at self-checkout kiosks, or when suspects walk out with merchandise.

“We get people changing price tags on items, bypassing the proper bar code,” he said.

In Cranberry Township, the the motive behind retail thefts is changing, according to Mascellino.

About 50 percent of the thefts handled by the department are those done by retail theft rings.

“We don’t see an increase of need-related retail theft,” he said. “It is either drug-related, or it's their source of income. We’re seeing a lot of organized retail theft.”

Retail theft rings can be made up of multiple people, either locals or people from out of town. According to Mascellino, the theft rings will take items and sell them, or return them to the stores they came from in exchange for gift cards.

“It’s everything,” he said. “From makeup from high-end stores like Ulta or Sephora to tools from Home Depot or Lowe’s and electronics.”

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s crime database, thefts across the country are on the rise.

The FBI’s database shows there were 20,644 shoplifting incidents recorded by 132 reporting Pennsylvania law enforcement agencies in 2022. In 2021, only 12,633 were reported by 114 reporting agencies.

A study by the Council on Criminal Justice found the median value of stolen items increased nationwide, from an average of $75 in 2019 to nearly $100 in 2021. The study showed the city of Pittsburgh reported 89 shoplifting incidents in December 2022.

According to Hays, Butler Township officers often successfully identify and apprehend suspects. Sometimes photos of suspects can be seen on the department’s Facebook page, asking for the public’s help.

“We have a good working relationship with Walmart and all the other stores. Different stores are handling it different ways,” he said.

Mascellino added that the way thefts are prosecuted in Butler County deters people from committing the crime.

“We’re actually lucky in Butler County that prosecution can help; it’s a jailable offense,” he said. “That’s helpful for us.”