Real-life Grinches stealing holiday decorations around Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - It's only December 1, but residents are already reporting thieves stealing holiday cheer from neighborhoods.
Community groups and neighborhood apps focused on Colorado Springs are filled with homeowners complaining about people stealing and destroying their holiday displays.
Mark Mason posted about the theft of his inflatable Frosty the Snowman on the app Nextdoor. He says the decoration was swiped from the front yard of his Northwest Colorado Springs home around 2 a.m. on Sunday. The whole ordeal, captured on security video, lasted only two minutes.
The Masons aren't the only ones who had their decorations snatched. Posts about Christmas decorations being stolen or vandalized are popping up all over community groups. Some are reporting stolen wreaths, and others are reporting the complete destruction of decorations.
The Colorado Springs Police Department told KRDO, while it may seem like there’s an uptick in the thefts and vandalism, this seems to be on par with what they typically see this time of year.
Police also say social media is probably giving people the perception that there’s more criminal activity because people can spread the word so easily online.
The Mason family told KRDO they contacted police about their $110 Frosty being stolen, but CSPD said most people don’t report their incidents, which is an issue.
CSPD reminds everyone that though posting the theft or vandalism to Nextdoor or Facebook is helpful to warn neighbors, it doesn’t count as a police report. Police say they'll investigate stolen decorations if the crime is officially reported to them. Having evidence like security footage can also help these investigations.
Some ways you can prevent your decorations from going missing include:
- Using metal stakes to secure lawn decorations
- Installing motion-activated lights
- Having security cameras.
