WASHINGTON - Merchants in and around Dupont Circle are reporting a sudden and mysterious spike in shoplifting.

One store was hit by four different groups of youthful shoplifters in one day. Another store lost an entire display of merchandise in just seconds. The new bands of shoplifters have a specific methodology. 

"It's a problem and we really have to stay on our guard constantly," said Sarah Scofield, who works at the oft-targeted Lou Lou Accessories Boutique. "There has been a real escalation in shoplifting in general."

The thieves take everything from costume jewelry to the priciest products, she says.

"A lot of them are just young kids," Scofield said.

It's the same method used to rip off many stores. At the cosmetics shop Blue Mercury, clerks say they have seen swarms of young shoplifters recently.

"The group of kids have gotten out of control, especially when they get out of school at night," said clerk Kimberly Collins. "They are just in the shops. 'Don't  you have supervision?'"

The spike in shoplifting comes amid an ongoing recession. So retailers struggling with sluggish sales are losing merchandise to theft. Lou Lou's owner just shelled out thousands of dollars for a beefed-up security system.

"It is a big struggle. I mean rents, are going up even in this tough economy," said Edward Grandis of the Dupont Circle Merchants Association. "Retailers in D.C. really are the first line in taking the abuse."

But the investment in security cameras can pay off. Some brazen thieves hit Universal Gear on 14th Street. The store publicized the surveillance video, leading to a string of arrests.

The manager says the thieves appear to be staying away now. He believes it's because they know they could get caught.

"They will be caught or identified and be caught," Kristopher Johnson said.

The crime stats aren't all bad. While theft is up in Dupont Circle, violent crime, including robberies and assaults, has dropped in recent months.

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