Series of crimes has extra police patrolling Center City

CENTER CITY (WTXF) - The smash and grab, early Tuesday morning at Boyds clothing store, is just the latest in a recent series of Center City crimes.

Now, after two consecutive nights of major thefts, FOX 29's Steve Keeley reports Philadelphia police are on constant patrol, even on bicycles well before sunrise.

At Boyds, in the 1800 block of Chestnut Street, police say as many as a half-dozen thieves used a vehicle to smash in the display window. Inside, they stole $50,000 worth of high-end handbags, leather jackets and other clothing.

Just a day earlier, Monday morning, an especially daring thief demolished the stairway entrance to the Union League to steal the brass railing. That was at Broad and Sansom streets, just over a block from City Hall.

Last Tuesday evening, an attempted armed robbery in Rittenhouse Square ended when police say the young would-be thief wounded a good Samaritan who tried to intervene.

That makes three major incidents in a week.

There have also been recent tire-slashing incidents near City Hall.

Monday night, concerned neighbors held a meeting with police who admitted they were surprised by some of the recent brazenness.