Surge in domestic violence, shoplifting seen
Cases of shoplifting and domestic violence have increased as Christmas approaches, two areas of crime police say almost always rise during the holiday season.
“We see thefts and shoplifting go up almost every year, and it appears this year is no exception,” said McMinnville Police Capt. Bryan Denton. “You can pretty well count on the two weeks leading up to Christmas having higher shoplifting numbers than any other time of the year.”
While shoplifting is a year-round problem, Denton said the numbers increase consistently at Christmas.
“A major reason is that shoplifters try to blend in to large crowds which we see at the holidays,” Denton said. “It’s much harder to keep up with individuals, especially when you have hundreds of other shoppers.”
The higher number of shoplifters reflects mainly those who are actually caught in the act, meaning the true impact of shoplifters will not be known until missing merchandise is discovered during post-Christmas inventories.
Along with shoplifters, Denton said police answer a higher number of domestic violence calls around Christmas, a trend which is already beginning this year.
“Domestics also go up slightly during the holidays,” Denton said. “Some years more than others. We notice they go their highest when the economy has been down because that gives another point of pressure to folks in what can be a stressful time of year.”
Adding to the mix is the use of alcohol during the holidays.
“Sometimes people get down because they look around and see their shortcomings around the holiday season, then they mix alcohol to their depression and it just makes things worse,” Denton said. “I think alcohol definitely has a direct impact on the rise of domestic violence calls we get over the holidays.”
Julie Blankenship, services coordinator for Families in Crisis, says the organization receives an increased number of calls over the holidays. Families in Crisis handles cases from Warren, Grundy and Sequatchie counties, with 95 percent of its cases involving Warren countians. The agency handles over 3,000 cases annually.
“We get quite a few calls around the holidays, but we’ve seen that they tend to stay together anyway until the holidays are over,” Blankenship said. “Then, we get several requests for shelter right after the holidays.”
Blankenship said while alcohol may contribute to domestic violence, it is not the root cause of the crime.
The Families in Crisis hotline may be reached around the clock at 473-6221. Blankenship said the shelter is requesting donations of used cell phones which can be given to victims of domestic violence, programmed so they can contact 911 in case of emergency. Those donations may be made by calling the business line at 473-6543.