Spring weather means more sunshine, more time outdoors and, at least this year in New Mexico, more thefts of high-end sunglasses.
"The more outdoor activities are on the rise, the more (sunglasses are) stolen," Albuquerque police spokesman John Walsh said. "It's the old adage of supply and demand."
Designer brands, including Versace, Gucci and Christian Dior, that can costs hundreds of dollars a pair were among the fancy frames taken in the recent heists.
A recent string of burglaries targeting designer sunglasses has shades shop owners worried.
"They're pretty easy to move," said Vince Townsend, vice president of Eye Associates of New Mexico, which has 12 stores across the state. "They target high-end sunglasses, and they're in and out in under five minutes."
Townsend— who said Eye Associates stores have been burglarized as many as five times recently— added that the "smash-and-grab" break-ins for the light and easy-to-carry glasses can be lucrative. Designer frames can cost hundreds of dollars a pair.
It took three masked thieves— caught on surveillance video— less than a minute to grab 80 pairs of sunglasses Tuesday at Santa Fe's Acoma Optical after smashing a window. The stolen designer goods had an estimated value of $24,000.
That same night, thieves broke into the nearby Eye Associates store on Rodeo Road.
On April 3 in Rio Rancho, thousands of dollars' worth of high-end frames were stolen from a Eye Associates store and a ski store. The next day, the same Rio Rancho Eye Associates store was hit again.
And thieves recently broke into Albuquerque's Factory Edge motocross shop and stole sunglasses, the second time the West Side store was targeted in its first eight months of business.
The rash of break-ins targeting sunglasses is apparently something new for local law enforcement.
"We see computers and things like that all the time," Santa Fe Police Deputy Chief Benjie Montaño said. "But this is the first time since I've been here that someone broke into an eyeglass place and took glasses."
"It's not a common crime for people to target high-end sunglasses," Rio Rancho police spokesman John Francis told the Journal earlier this month.
Ken Frederick of the Sunglass Association of America said it's pretty commonplace across the country for stolen sunglasses to be sold on the black market.
"Out on the East Coast, you see street guys with card tables selling Oakley sunglasses for $10," said Frederick. "The question is, are they legitimate, counterfeit or were they stolen?"
"They have three avenues," the APD's Walsh said of sunglasses thieves. "They'll sell them at flea markets, they'll exchange them for other goods, which are usually drugs, or (the glasses) show up with street vendors."
Sometimes, that means the frames are literally sold out of the trunk of a car.
"They'll just spread a blanket out and do their sales," Walsh said.
Then there's the Internet.
"It's an instant market," said Frederick. "It just makes it easier. Now a guy doesn't have to put a face on it when he's selling these things."
Frederick said it's not unusual for sunglass thieves to sell on sites like eBay and Craigslist.
Frederick said he understands the attraction.
"Everybody wants a designer name, but who wants to pay $400?" he asked.
Brian Boddy, owner of the Acoma Optical store that was hit in Santa FE, said sunglasses are a hot accessory.
"The kids," Boddy said. "Remember Air Jordans? Kids used to be like, 'Oh, man, I just got these Air Jordans.' "Now it's like, 'Oh, man, I just got these Versace or Gucci.' ''
Hurting businesses
The impact of burglaries on small business owners can be severe. Frederick said the more high-end merchandise that gets taken from a store, the more the store owner may be conflicted about reporting losses to insurance carriers.
"If they turn in their claims, their premiums go up," he said.
Factory Edge owner Keith Slight told KOAT-TV that his insurance company dropped his store policy because of his break-ins.
Frederick said many stores have taken to putting their most expensive frames inside glass cases.
"But if the guy entered your store by breaking in, breaking one more window isn't going to bother him," he said.
Townsend said Eye Associates stores have taken the step of removing all high-end merchandise from the store at night. And some stores have signs posted to let potential thieves know about that policy.
"It's a burden," Townsend said.
While stores work on prevention tactics, police are asking would-be customers of stolen shades to use common sense.
"If the price is too good to be true, chances are it probably has been stolen," Walsh said.
