By Jeff Halstead, Ret. Chief of Police, Fort Worth, TX
The holiday season is upon us. Black Friday and Christmas bring a shopping frenzy like no other. For law enforcement, it’s a double-edged sword. While stores fill up with excited shoppers, our job gets tougher. Thieves—especially organized groups—see these crowded days as prime hunting grounds. Their quick, coordinated hits make them a serious challenge to catch. As the holiday rush picks up, vigilance is key. Here’s why theft spikes during this season and how law enforcement can rise to the occasion.
Why Crime Spikes During the Holidays
Black Friday and Christmas are magnets for retail crime. Shops roll out heavy discounts, and crowds swarm to snag deals. Unfortunately, that makes retailers soft targets for thieves. With staff busy handling customers, security gaps form. Organized crime rings see an opening. They strike fast, taking advantage of distracted employees, crowded aisles, and packed parking lots.
But it’s not just shoplifting. “Jugging” sees a major uptick this time of year too.
What Is Jugging?
Jugging is one of the trickiest crimes we deal with during the holiday season. Here’s how it works: criminals stake out banks, ATMs, and cash-heavy retailers. Their goal? Spot shoppers who withdraw large sums of cash. They often work in pairs. One suspect/s hang back, watching from a distance. They stay out of sight of bank cameras, carefully monitoring transactions. Once they identify a prime target—someone walking out with cash—they signal their partner/s.
The partner/s follows the target, often waiting for the right moment to strike. When it’s clear, they approach, usually threatening the victim with a weapon to steal their money. Jugging happens fast. And by the time calls come in, suspects are usually long gone. For law enforcement, these are tough cases. We’re left piecing together security footage and scrambling for vehicle descriptions, license plates, and anything else to ID the suspects.
The Holiday Crime Challenge
So, why is jugging such a headache for law enforcement during Black Friday and Christmas? For one, the sheer volume of shoppers means more cash withdrawals and more targets. Isolated incidents make it hard to predict patterns and calls often come in after the fact. Without real-time alerts, we rely on scattered intel and whatever evidence we can scrape together. Time isn’t on our side.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Fighting Back with Genasys CONNECT
This is where Genasys CONNECT changes the game. CONNECT gives us a tool to collaborate faster and smarter. Here’s how it could work for jugging cases: suppose law enforcement creates a jugging task force using CONNECT. When a jugging incident occurs, officers can broadcast details—including descriptions of suspects, vehicles, and license plates—to crime analysts and neighboring agencies in real time. It doesn’t stop at sharing information internally, either.
CONNECT’s reach extends beyond individual agencies. Even if surrounding agencies aren’t Genasys customers, you can still establish collaborative groups through CONNECT. This capability builds a regional safety net. Information moves fast, increasing the odds of catching suspects before they strike again.
Collaborative Crime-Fighting in Action
Imagine this scenario: a victim reports a jugging incident. The suspect’s vehicle description and partial license plate are captured on nearby security footage. Officers input this data into CONNECT. Selected groups like surrounding agencies, retail security, and analysts in neighboring cities instantly gain access to this information. Patrols are on high alert. The more eyes on the lookout, the better the odds of intercepting the suspects.
This collaboration turns isolated incidents into community efforts. CONNECT boosts situational awareness, giving law enforcement the upper hand. By streamlining communication and connecting multiple stakeholders, we can make jugging—and other holiday crimes—much harder to pull off.
Stay Vigilant This Season
Black Friday and Christmas bring a surge in theft and organized crime. But we’re not backing down. With the right tools, teamwork, and technology, we can protect our communities and put a dent in crime. Stay vigilant. Stay connected.
Contact Genasys to learn more about CONNECT or schedule a demo and see how it will enhance your precinct’s effectiveness firsthand.
