Joplin Top 5 Most Stolen Items in 2012
By: Gretchen Bolander
Updated: January 21, 2013
JOPLIN, MO-- Larcenies were up in Joplin last year... an increase of 16 percent. Electronics come in at the top of the list... 334 cases of missing iPods, cell phones and computers. Gas drive offs stayed about the same as 2011... while stolen copper and missing cash & checks remained in the top five. But clothing items moved up the list - second most stolen - at 261 reports.
Joplin Police Lt. Darren Gallup said, "That's attributed to a rise in shoplifting cases and the fact that stores are reporting those shoplifting incidents more also can attribute to the rise in the cases."
But while larceny cases rose last year ... overall, Joplin crime dropped one percent. Officers point out increased shoplifting is a big reason for that.
