A juvenile was recently seen shoplifting, ran when approached by store security outside a store in Montrose recently. As police work to identify the suspect, they also say juvenile crime has been increasing in the city.

This specific shoplifting case happened around 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 4 at the City Market located at 128 South Townsend Avenue in Montrose. The store's security cameras photographed the juvenile suspect involved in the theft.

Courtesy Montrose County Sheriff's Office
Courtesy Montrose County Sheriff's Office
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The Montrose County Sheriff's Office says thefts, shoplifting, and commercial burglaries can raise the cost of goods as merchants try to offset the losses. Admittedly, stealing a few grocery items won't amount to much, but multiplied by the number of times it happens, the loss becomes significant.

This particular theft highlights the increase in juvenile crime law enforcement in Montrose has seen over the last year. The Montrose County Sheriff's Office reports there were three times more juvenile felony arrests in 2017 than in 2016. While there is no single known factor in the increase, the trend is disturbing to law enforcement.

One of the most important things residents can do is to be diligent in reporting crimes and help identify criminals. For people who are reluctant to report because they don't want to be identified, anonymous reporting can be done through Montrose Regional Crime Stoppers. Just call 970-249-8500 to make an anonymous report. The P3 Tips app or P3Tips.com also allows anonymous reporting of crimes.

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