The complex at 2000 Pennsylvania Ave. has experienced a 267 percent increase in thefts over the past year.
Thirty-three thefts within 100 feet of The Shops at 2000 Penn have been reported to the Metropolitan Police Department since the beginning of the year, with at least 27 of the reports occurring at CVS. The increase comes after the complex experienced nine thefts last year – the lowest number since 2012.
Between 2013 and 2016, the number of thefts in the complex rose from 10 to 43 before dropping off the next year. Between 2010 and 2012, about six thefts were reported at 2000 Penn each year.
Twelve of the 33 thefts that have occurred this year took place last month.
Emily Recko | Graphics Editor
Source: Metropolitan Police Department data
Melvin Gresham, the commander of the Second District at MPD, said there has been an “increase in overall thefts within the Second District’s retail areas” because there has been an increase in the number and types of products sold at CVS. He said there is no “set amount or metric” to determine what items are most frequently stolen, and the items stolen range in cost from less than $1 to more than $100.
The recorded thefts were charged as either shoplifting or second-degree theft, and stolen items included money, candy, toiletries and a blood pressure machine.
Gresham said after the department sees an increase in theft at any location, MPD assigns a supervisor and police officers to meet with store managers and “strategically plan on reducing the crime.” He said the Second District also increases the presence of officers at retail locations during the holiday season.
“There is no set pattern that I am aware of that would accurately determine the frequency, many thefts occur in some locations, but are not reported,” he said in an email. “Based on my knowledge, I would not say that this location is targeted more than any other.”
Gary Serby, the director of corporate communications for CVS, said the company “regularly”
reviews security policies and procedures at all store locations to “ensure effectiveness.” Serby said he could not comment on specific security measures because the company does not “want to undermine them” by releasing safety information to the public.
“The safety and well-being of our customers and employees is our highest priority,” he said in an email. “We are committed to ensuring that CVS Pharmacy remains a safe environment for our customers to shop and fill their prescriptions.”
Michael Reiser, the senior property manager at MRP Realty, a D.C.-based real estate company, said the group has not “been notified of any security concerns” since taking co-ownership of The Shops at 2000 Penn in May.
