Petty Thieves Frequent Youree Drive Area

 Smaller, more petty crimes tend to go unnoticed, but being unaware of pick pocketers can leave someone without some of their more valuable items.

Allen and Susan Hendrix spent Tuesday evening eating at Newks off Youree Drive in Shreveport.  Susan strapped her purse to her chair and thought nothing of it, even when two men sat behind their table.  The Hendrix's say that's when they fell victim to a petty crime.

"I noticed that the purse pattern, the Vera Bradley bag she uses and carries, the colors were sticking out from underneath his coat jacket," said Allen Hendrix.

Hendrix followed the thief to the front door.  After a short altercation the thief dropped the wallet and fled.

This isn't the first incident that has happened in the Youree Drive area.  On Monday night, a woman frequenting another local restaurant says as she was leaving she felt a tug on her purse and saw a man reaching for her wallet.  The thief dropped her wallet and fled the scene.

Corporal Marcus Hines with the Shreveport Police Department says petty crimes tend to be rare, but when they do happen, they are purely crimes of opportunity.

"Maybe the person is inattentive, or they have a purse or something that is very long strapped and not being clinched to their body, they tend to take advantage of that," said Hines.

Hines says that most thieves target highly populated areas.  He says they do this in order to blend in with the crowd and be able to target a victim and flee the scene easily.

Police offer several tips for women when it comes to protecting themselves and their belongings.

They say to use your purse strap properly and that wearing a shoulder bag is dangerous if snatched.  It's more common to be injured during a purse snatching if your bag is over your shoulder or diagonally across your body.

Police recommend carrying your purse in your hand and know the contents of your purse.  They also stress that if attacked, to not fight back.

No arrests have been made in either incidents.