Bensalem police are battling a huge increase in retail thefts

A man enters a hardware store with a suitcase.

In what sounds like the start of a dad joke, authorities say a 25-year-old Brooklyn man stole nearly $9,000 worth of electronics from two hardware stores earlier this year.

Noe Zapata walked into Home Depot stores in Bensalem and walked out with merchandise three times, including on one outing in which he allegedly used luggage to hide his loot, police said.

Zapata is one of hundreds of retail theft suspects identified by Bensalem police as part of its recently expanded campaign to reduce and prevent retail theft.

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Last year, businesses reported nearly 900 incidents of retail theft, more than double the number reported in 2019, when 484 were reported, said William McVey, public safety director.

Bensalem’s post-pandemic theft rate aligns with a trend seen across Pennsylvania, where retail theft reports are up 30% statewide, McVey said.

The suspects are also becoming more and more bold, he said. They bring plastic shopping bags (or pieces of luggage) to fill or pile items into shopping carts and roll them through security.

It is also not uncommon for suspects to repeatedly visit the same retail store.

Philadelphia resident Richard Santana Aponte allegedly visited the same Giant supermarket on Street Road for 11 days in a row in March and left the supermarket with items totaling more than $3,300 before his recent arrest.

A 30-year-old Philadelphia man was recently charged with stealing nearly $2,000 worth of items, mostly Lego sets, from the Bensalem Target over several months.

Popular, high-value items that can be resold on the black market are the target of most shoplifters, McVey said.

His department has seen people stealing batteries from drugstores and removing Red Bull drinks from the shelves. A suspect attempted to steal two garbage bags using high-quality sneakers.

Many suspects police ultimately identify — like Zapata, who is awaiting extradition from New York City — live outside the county and state and could be part of a larger theft network, McVey said.

Police found a list of Kohl’s locations in the phone list of an out-of-state woman who was arrested for trying to leave a Kohl’s in Bensalem with a suitcase full of expensive perfume, McVey said.

While Bensalem has a high clearance rate for retail thefts – 60% are caught and prosecuted – McVey believes deterrence is just as important.

What is “Bensalem Secure” and how does it combat retail theft?

Police, the township’s Economic Development Corporation and local business owners have launched “Bensalem Secure,” a task force focused on reducing retail theft in the township and region.

The campaign launched earlier this year and provides local business owners with free theft prevention resources, workshops and information sharing.

As part of the task force strategy, McVey has deployed increased traffic enforcement in areas with high levels of retail theft to ensure a visible presence.

The department is also posting more surveillance videos and photos on social media to encourage community participation and provide tips on suspicious identities. Often suspected shoplifters are repeat offenders who are wanted in other communities, McVey said.

Recently, Bensalem began posting a weekly list of retail theft arrests online on its social media accounts and Crimewatch pages, including names, stores, amounts and mugshots.

The first three lists contained 33 names with alleged stolen amounts ranging from $20 to over $1,000. According to the list, most thefts occurred at Target, Home Depot, Boscov’s, Wawa and Walmart.

Publicly shaming suspected shoplifters is part of the township’s zero-tolerance policy, McVey said.

“We are ready to arrest anyone who steals. We wanted to spread that message,” McVey said. “People can’t be so bold as to think they can load up a shopping cart or luggage at the supermarket and walk out and think they won’t face any consequences.”

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