Washington, DC officials are warning residents and visitors to the nation’s capital to be on the lookout for thieves targeting expensive Canada Goose jackets.
A wave of thefts of the in-demand jackets comes as vacationers get ready to visit DC next month to see the city’s famed cherry blossoms, with locals left on edge.
“I’m a student here and this is my campus, so I just want to be safe,” George Washington University student Naiyu Kuo told Fox 5.
Two thefts happened right near the GWU’s campus, prompting school officials to send an alert to students.
“While none of the incidents have occurred on campus, two took place near the Foggy Bottom campus on February 1, 2023. Jackets have been taken off of victims, and in some cases, weapons have been brandished,” the message from the school said, according to Fox 5.
Canada Goose jackets are pricey, ranging from hundreds of dollars up to $1,500.
In one incident this week, a couple from New York who were on a stroll in DuPont Circle in broad daylight with their son said they were approached at gunpoint and forced to hand over their Canada Goose jackets.
“I’m an attorney from the south Bronx, living in rough neighborhoods in New York, so I thought I would be well-equipped,” Julian Kaufman told NBC Washington.
“And all of a sudden someone’s like, ‘Gimme your coat! Gimme your coat!’ And I thought, is this a joke?” Sheila Kaufman said. “And then he waved a gun by me … and I took it off and gave it to him.”
Police released footage of the suspects, who took off in a car, and are asking the public for help identifying them.
It’s the latest incident in a string of such crimes. Last month, a Howard student last month was reportedly surrounded by three suspects, punched and robbed of a jacket, NBC Washington previously reported.
“We want people to cooperate,” Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Patrick Loftus told the station earlier this month. “Property is not worth your life. Give away that property, try to get a good description of that person, and we want people to call 911.”
Canada Goose apparel has been targeted in other cities as well, most notably in Chicago. Smash-and-grab robbers broke into a Canada Goose store on the Magnificent Mile last month, stealing armloads of merchandise, CWB Chicago reported. The coats have been a favorite of thieves in the city since at least 2016, according to local media reports.