COLUMBUS – Theft charges in Columbus dropped last year after reaching record highs in 2015 but more of the thieves are pros, authorities say.
About 21 percent fewer misdemeanor theft charges were filed by the City Attorney’s Prosecution Division in 2016 than the year before, Columbus City Attorney Rick Pfeiffer’s office announced.
The number of cases involving thefts over $500 also declined after increasing after lawmakers in 2012 doubled the amount that raises the crime from a misdemeanor to a felony to $1,000, Pfeiffer said. However, the total value of merchandise stolen decreased 15.6 percent from $695,527 in 2015 to $587,198 in 2016, he said.
A total of 3,625 theft charges were filed last year, compared to 4,590 cases in 2015.
Pilferage is not a job for amateurs: Pfeiffer says over 81 percent of the charges were against repeat offenders, known as serial thieves and professional shoplifters, while the number of first-time offenders dropped 23.4 percent. Eight years ago, Pfeiffer says 58 percent of theft charges involved repeat offenders.
The average value of each theft grew from $151 in 2015 to $162 in 2016.