Undercover police roam St. Clair Square in search of holiday shoplifters

Beware shoplifters: That person outside the store just might be a police officer.

Fairview Heights had officers strolling St. Clair Square mall Tuesday night, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page.

“Attention thieves: we have several undercover officers roaming the mall tonight. Tell your friends!” it read.

Plainclothes and uniformed officers have patrolled around the mall during the season, including approximately 86 hours of overtime worked during Black Friday, according to a police release. No officers are permitted to take vacations during the busy holiday season, and crime was almost zero over the Black Friday weekend, police said: three shoplifting incidents and zero auto thefts, car break-ins or crimes against persons.

Police Chief Nick Gailius said they intended to use saturated patrols and undercover officers throughout the holiday season.

This story was originally published December 12, 2017 at 10:12 PM with the headline "Undercover police roam St. Clair Square in search of holiday shoplifters."