CNNMoney.com says police nationwide are seeing an increase in the number of
Christmas trees being stolen from commercial lots:
In recent weeks, police across the country have seen an uptick in the theft of trees from commercial lots. In Baytown, Tex., cops caught a man earlier this month trying to take several holiday trees off a lot. In Portland, Ore., police nabbed a man last week dragging a stolen tree down the street around 3 a.m. Officials in Hillsborough County, Fla., are investigating a Christmas tree crime spree, with more than 20 stolen from one lot owner alone.
In that instance, 14 Fraser firs were swiped in the middle of the night on December 2; another eight were stolen about a week later.
The story adds:
Sales of fresh Christmas trees have been on an upswing since 2002, with approximately 31 million sold last year for a retail value of $1.3 billion, according to the
National Christmas Tree Association. But with little evidence of any black market for Christmas trees, and a six-foot fir costing as much as $200, officials suspect this year's thieves are likely stealing trees for their own living rooms.
By the way, the National Christmas Tree Association published what it calls
"The 10 Biggest Myths about Christmas Trees." I just watched The Bicycle Thief this afternoon. Earlier this...
