North Greenbush Police warn of uptick in crime trend

North Greenbush Police are warning about an uptick in a crime trend.

Police say thieves are stealing purses and wallets while you’re shopping, specifically at the Van Rensselaer Square businesses. Police say they’ve received several reports over the last several weeks.

Police say if you put your purse in the upper part of the shopping cart, don’t leave it — that’s when thieves are striking, even if the purse’s owner is right next to the cart. They add strapping the purse to the cart is helpful, but only if the purse is closed in a way that makes opening it quickly difficult.