NORWOOD – For many residents, Norwood Plaza is a convenient one-stop shop for groceries, prescriptions, or for a new look. But a review of the police logs from the past month reveals an unsettling picture. From daytime shoplifting incidents to heated pharmacy confrontations, the stretch of 134 Nahatan Street has become a common “ping” on the Norwood Police Department’s call log.
Not a week goes by without some incident requiring a police response, which doesn’t appear to happen at similar neighborhood shopping areas. After making this observation, Inside Norwood asked a very simple question: has Norwood Plaza become a magnet for criminal activity, or are we simply seeing the inevitable “cost of doing business” in a busy suburban hub?
Police Chief Christopher Padden is not convinced crime at this location has become worse. “I don’t think crime is rising in this area,” Chief Padden said in response to our inquiry. “This plaza has always been busy and one shoplifting incident a week is not a trend” he added.
We’ll let you, dear reader, be the judge. A recent incident occurred on Friday, March 5th, where a 911 caller, who was a concerned customer, reported seeing two women allegedly stealing items from TJ Maxx and fleeing the scene. The caller expressed frustration that store staff allegedly failed to intervene or offer assistance when the theft was reported to them.
This delay may have contributed to the suspects vanishing before officers could arrive, leaving the customer to provide the only lead. This journalist wonders whether the stores have reached a point of “retail fatigue,” where theft is so common it’s no longer met with urgency?
This incident was preceded by a bold streak of shoplifting incidents in February. CVS staff reported a woman fleeing with stolen cosmetics, whisked away by a getaway vehicle, a white SUV, waiting at the curb.
The brazenness isn’t limited to adults. Just days prior to that incident, two juveniles were cornered at the plaza after attempting to swipe merchandise. While the items were returned after a confrontation with employees (and police), the incident resulted in formal “letters of disinvite” and calls to parents. Another TJ Maxx shoplifting report on Friday the 13th escalated quickly, resulting in both an official offense report and a protective custody arrest.
Beyond theft, some would argue the atmosphere at the plaza has become increasingly charged. On Valentine’s Day morning, police were called to the CVS pharmacy to mediate a disturbance. A customer, reportedly distraught over a delayed prescription, refused to leave the premises, leading to a tense standoff that required police intervention to de-escalate.
The property is owned by a company called TA NORWOOD, LLC, which is a subsidiary of TA Realty, who has not responded to our request for comment.
Some may argue that the concentration of high-traffic retailers naturally invites more friction. More business and more customers, statistically more incidents are likely. Chief Padden appears to agree with this assessment, “Shoplifting is sadly common,” he said.
However, the variety of the calls, ranging from coordinated “grab-and-go” thefts to aggressive “unwanted party” disturbances, suggests a shift in the local climate. One must assume this shift may feel like more than just a statistical quirk to the common customer. -RD
Crime at shaws plaza is nothing new, it’s been a problem for years. What has changed is general store policies. Employees are instructed not to intervene in any thefts. I witnessed this in the medfield shaws. This policy is not exclusive to Norwood, it’s the policy of every store in every town.
I don’t know that crime is much higher at Norwood Plaza. I do suspect that there are several things that may lead to that perception:
1) The proximity to the Norwood Public Safety Department across the street from Norwood Plaza, often for matters that would better be addressed at the store or property manager level.
2) Some other local plazas, like University Station across the border in Westwood, have a security patrol that can discourage possible problems while helping tenants triage and track negative activities without contacting police for every situation.
3) Regarding shoplifting, most retailers train their staff not to confront shoplifters and to refer those problems to their loss prevention departments to address.
4) Since TA Realty and their property manager, Wilder, took over the property in 2022, the property has frequently been messy with trash, and there have been people engaging in negative behavior who loiter on the property.
a. People play cards, drink alcohol, and smoke cigarettes and other substances all day long.
b. People who are begging and possibly unhoused and could benefit from some form of social outreach rather than engaging Norwood PD.
My sense is that most of these issues could be largely addressed by TA Realty and/or Wilder improving property security and not pushing it to NPD. Sadly, I do wonder if some people’s complaints may be based on diversity and changing town demographics. Per Chief Padden, crime stats aren’t necessarily any higher, but long-term residents who may bemoan any population change may feel less safe—and that’s not something that policing can or should be addressing.
Wilder Co: https://www.wilderco.com/properties/
TA Realty Announcement with contact names: https://archive.md/UC5qF