A serial locker thief has been working the Planet Fitness in Bushwick, and police say the suspect has been caught on camera slipping through the gym and into members’ belongings.
Investigators believe the same person is behind a string of locker thefts that started in December and continued with a new report this past Tuesday, leaving regulars at the Broadway location on edge.
According to News12 New York, the incidents took place at the Planet Fitness at 777 Broadway, where police say the suspect is responsible for at least a dozen thefts since December. Officers have released still images and surveillance video that show the person moving through the gym and, in one clip, going through a subway turnstile after an incident. Authorities are asking anyone who recognizes the individual to call Crime Stoppers.
Victims range from teenagers to older adults. Investigators say the thief has taken cash, wallets, and jackets from lockers, and in one case made off with about $1,000. The steady run of locker hits has members keeping a closer eye on their stuff and rethinking how they store it.
“I hope that people start bringing their locks,” gym member Donavin Anglava told News12 New York.
This Is Not an Isolated Problem
Locker thefts have popped up across the city in recent years, often caught on surveillance cameras and sometimes followed by fraud using stolen credit and debit cards. As reported by the NYPD in a previous case involving more than $80,000 in gym locker thefts at upscale fitness centers, these crimes can quickly become very costly for victims.
How Members And Gyms Can Respond
Regulars say a few basic habits can help: bring a sturdy padlock, keep valuables with you instead of in a locker, or choose lockers closer to staffed areas. Gym management can also cut down on opportunities for theft by reminding members to secure belongings and working with police to review surveillance footage when incidents occur.
Police are banking on the newly released images to generate tips that lead to an identification and arrest. Until then, Bushwick gym-goers say they will be locking up and watching the locker area a lot more closely.
