Stealing Canada Goose coats off of people's backs may become a new crime trend similar to when thieves were targeting Rolex watches, an expert has warned.
The professor of criminology at Birmingham City University, David Wilson, is worried about the recent spate of muggings for the high-quality coats.
There have been multiple reports of the puffer jackets, which can go for as much as £1,700, being stolen, including on the Tube in London.
Passengers have been forced to surrender their clothes, in a spike in “acquisitive crime” which is “driving an increase in the Underground’s overall crime rate”, according to Transport for London’s Director of Security, Policing and Enforcement Siwan Hayward.
Professor Wilson thinks this “could be the start of a new spate of luxury item muggings”.
He told the MailOnline: “You may recall we've seen muggings of this sort before. Thieves used to target Rolex watches which go for thousands of pounds and then flog them online because they're usually stolen to order.
“I would tell anyone wearing Canada Goose jackets to be careful and be aware of your surroundings and who's around you. You have to be vigilant for opportunists who might try to steal them.”
He also went on to ask anyone “interested in buying knock-offs to use a bit of common sense” and “help break the market” by refusing to buy luxury items being sold for suspiciously cheap prices.
Last month, the Standard revealed the Underground suffered a 108 per cent increase in robberies and a wider 56 per cent jump in crime.
There were 10,836 offences reported between April and September 2023 on the London Underground, compared with 6,294 over the same period last year.
Ms Hayward said: “Canada Goose coats, some North Face [coats] – they are targeted for robbery. It’s a real concern to us because it really impacts on the safety of young people on the network.”
She warned that Airpods and phones are also at risk of being stolen more frequently, as people often keep these items in their coat pockets.
“It’s a very, concerning, intimidating and frightening type of behaviour that we are seeing across the capital,” she added.
But she assured the public that the Metropolitan Police and British Transport Police (BTP) were aware of the problem and, when robberies occurred, CCTV images were quickly and widely shared in a bid to catch and prosecute offenders and ban them from travelling.
On Sunday, footage emerged on social media showing two men in hooded jackets seemingly trying to steal another’s £1,000 Canada Goose jacket at Elmstead Woods station in Chislehurst, Kent.
We're aware of this incident and arrested two 16-year-old boys. They have now been bailed.
— British Transport Police (@BTP) December 31, 2023
We urge anyone who saw it to contact us by texting 61016, quoting ref 394 of 28 Dec.
In particular, we'd like to hear from a man who helped the victim and a woman who was present.
One can be seen holding onto the victim while the other appears to repeatedly throw punches at his head, as witnesses can be heard shouting for them to stop.
The victim fights back, eventually manages to break free from the robbers and runs away.
The BTP has since confirmed that the incident took place on December 28 and two 16-year-old boys have been arrested and bailed in connection with it.
Anyone with information has been urged to come forward.
