Hamlet Police are asking the public for help identifying suspects tied to a larceny at the Family Dollar store on West Hamlet Avenue, with investigators saying the subjects were last seen leaving the area in a burgundy Honda CR-V. The department posted photos of the subjects to Facebook on Friday night, seeking tips from anyone who recognizes them.
According to the Hamlet Police Department, the larceny occurred at the Family Dollar store on Thursday, and officers are accepting tips through Facebook as they work to identify those involved. The store sits at 810 W. Hamlet Ave., along the town's main commercial corridor, according to Family Dollar. Anyone with information can call the department at 910-582-2551 or submit an anonymous tip online at www.p3tips.com.
The department has not released the value or nature of the merchandise taken, and it remains unclear whether the suspects have been publicly identified beyond the photos shared online. It's also unknown whether license plate reader technology has flagged the burgundy Honda CR-V anywhere in Richmond County or neighboring jurisdictions.
How North Carolina Law Could Treat the Case
Whether the suspects ultimately face misdemeanor or felony charges will likely hinge on the value of whatever was taken. Under North Carolina General Statutes § 14-72, larceny of property valued at $1,000 or less is classified as a Class 1 misdemeanor, while larceny of property worth more than $1,000 escalates to a Class H felony, according to the North Carolina General Assembly's statutes. Class 1 misdemeanors carry up to 120 days in jail, while Class H felonies carry active state prison sentences.
If more than one person was involved, a getaway driver or anyone who knowingly transported stolen goods could face separate exposure. Under North Carolina General Statutes § 14-71.1, receiving or possessing stolen property while knowing or having reason to believe it was stolen carries its own misdemeanor or felony charges governed by the same $1,000 threshold, per the Manning Law Firm.
A Small Department Leaning on Public Tips
Hamlet Police operate out of headquarters at 201 W. Main St. with a force of roughly 19 officers, according to Discover Policing. A department that size often relies heavily on public assistance and crowd-sourced tips to build investigative leads, and Richmond County agencies have leaned into digital tools to do exactly that. Law enforcement across the county integrates anonymous tip submissions through the P3 Tips mobile app and web platform, which lets residents securely submit encrypted photos and video to investigators, as reported by the Richmond Observer.
Neighboring departments, including Rockingham, also use Flock Safety automated license plate reader cameras to track suspect vehicles fleeing retail theft scenes across municipal lines, the Richmond Observer notes. Those regional networks could theoretically help investigators follow the burgundy Honda CR-V beyond Hamlet's borders, though there's no indication yet that cameras have picked up the vehicle.
Not the First Trouble at This Family Dollar
This isn't the first time the Hamlet Avenue Family Dollar has drawn police attention. The store has been the site of prior larceny investigations, including a December 2017 incident in which a suspect was charged with larceny and trespassing after being banned from the property, and an October 2019 case involving $93 in stolen merchandise, according to the Richmond Observer's earlier reporting. Family Dollar, a subsidiary of Dollar Tree Inc., routinely shares store surveillance footage with local law enforcement during shoplifting investigations as part of standardized corporate security protocols.
Retail theft complaints like this one land against a backdrop of economic strain in Hamlet, where U.S. Census Bureau estimates for 2024 put the town's population at 5,961 residents with a poverty rate of 21.6%, according to Data USA. The town's median household income was $41,590 in 2024, and municipal property crime rates have historically trended above the North Carolina state average, per the same data.
For now, Hamlet Police say the case remains open, and they're counting on the public to help close it. Anyone who recognizes the subjects in the department's photos or has information about the burgundy Honda CR-V is urged to come forward through the tip line or the P3 Tips platform.
