Because there is frustration nationwide over rising crime including repeat offenders, brazen thieves who waltz in and out of stores – carrying bags full of stolen goods – without being confronted, and the soft-on-crime policies promoted by Democrats, retailers and citizens alike are stepping up to the plate in order to try and stem the tide.
There is also the issue of the slow response times of police in parts of the country, as we saw recently in Chicago when a woman called 911, only to be told the police were short-staffed due to budget cuts. The woman was also advised to call the city to demand more funding for police services.
READ MORE: Chicago Woman Left Waiting Hours for Police, After Calling 911 for Attempted Burglary
On Saturday, shoppers at the Tanger Outlets in Nashville were unexpectedly jarred by a commotion in a perfume store as masked thieves entered the store and proceeded to ransack it.
Instead of running off, though, after Metro Nashville police were called some of the shoppers decided to block the front entrance so the criminals couldn’t exit the store to make their getaway. Video from the scene taken by one of the shoppers shows the thieves attempting to rush the entrance a couple of times, falling short each time. At a couple of points, you also see a security guard standing outside along with the bystanders:
🔥🚨DEVELOPING: A group of shoppers in Nashville Tennessee took it upon themselves to stop shoplifters at the Tanger Outlets in Antioch from leaving the store.
I have been living in Nashville for 2 years and I can personally verify that the people here are tired. pic.twitter.com/AuvgRzv43E
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) June 4, 2024
Unfortunately, by the time police got there, which was between 20-30 minutes later according to local news reports, the criminals got away out the back:
According to the original poster of the video, TikTok user ptodropout, her son was inside shopping when the four suspects entered.
According to TikTok user ptodropout, the police response time was 30 minutes and the suspects were able to flee through the back of the store.
According to Metro Nashville Police spokesperson Brooke Reese, a 911 call came in just before 3 p.m. on June 1 for a fight which had taken place outside of Victoria’s Secret. No injuries were reported, said Reese. Based on the 911 call, an employee said shoplifters were located at Perfumania.
Here are images of the suspects:
CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Nashville detectives are working to identify individuals believed to be involved in Saturday afternoon’s attempted shoplifting at Perfumania at Tanger Outlets — where some good Samaritans took matters into their own hands: https://t.co/3qawco0ojQ
— WTVC NewsChannel 9 (@newschannelnine) June 5, 2024
I can understand why there are some folks who don’t want to get involved in a store crime in progress. So much could go wrong. But in this case, fortunately the shoppers were unharmed and, though the perps got away, ended up being the heroes of the day
Flashback: Resident Has Appropriate Response After Taco Bell Makes Announcement About Crime-Riddled Oakland Stores
