Unmanned Stores Become Easy Targets for Theft

The coronavirus pandemic saw a surge in the number of unmanned stores, which have become easy targets for theft, with half of the crimes committed by teenagers.

The incidents occurred mostly on weekends and late at night, targeting cash deposits in the stores.

Security firm S1 analyzed crime trends targeting unmanned stores from 2019 through June of this year and found that 52 percent of the perpetrators were in their teens, while 36 percent were in their 20s, 7 percent were in their 30s and 5 percent were in their 40s.

An S1 staffer said, "Unmanned stores located near schools have become hangouts for neighborhood teenagers and this has led to crimes being committed there. What's worse is that youngsters think of stealing from these shops as a form of entertainment."

Some 61 percent of thefts occurred from midnight to 6 a.m., followed by 6 a.m. to noon (27 percent). Saturdays and Sundays accounted for 34 percent of the theft occurrences, while 91 percent of the offenses targeted cash deposits.