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 BeyoncĂ©, 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.