Hair heists and weave thefts on the rise

    

     News reporters often don’t report on this crime seriously. And when it’s discussed among friends there are slight giggles and laughs – with the phrase “are you serious”, usually tacked on for good measure. But the truth of the matter is, hair weave thefts are becoming more common place – and in some instances the crimes turn out to be downright deadly.  
   
     In December, a Conyers, Georgia woman was killed over the sale of hair weaves, according to a report from the RockDale Citizen. You can click here to get more details on that crime and click here for a follow up to that story. 
   
     Even prior to the shooting, beauty shops from Atlanta to Texas have reportedly been the targets for these hair heists. Most notably, burglars broke in a southwest Atlanta shop using a rock a few years ago, and made off with $30,000 worth of hair extension packages, according to an article published on V-103’s web site.
 

     But why hair weaves? Why are these pieces becoming a target for thieves? Simply put, the false hair is profitable – highly profitable and the demand is off the charts. Everyone from Beyoncé, to your next door neighbor is wearing some type of extensions. The American market alone for hair extensions has been estimated at more than $250 million annually. On top of that, packs of hair weave can run from $20 to more than $200. 
   
     Can anything be done about these crimes? Well, until the media starts taking them seriously, and can stop snickering while they’re discussing these thefts, then unfortunately I don’t think things will change. Also, more importantly, until the demand goes down… until weaves go out of style (which is highly unlikely), I think that we’re only going to see a steady increase of these weave thefts. 

Check out this video that chronicles a hair weave heist in broad day light.