Attorney Alex Lane Discusses Holiday Crime Statistics

PHOENIX, AZ--(Marketwired - Nov 25, 2014) - Alex Lane has been representing those charged with crimes in Arizona for many years. His experiences have given him insight on the holiday season as it relates to crime statistics in this state. "Aside from DUI, which is the most common crime of all, identity theft and check fraud are the most common accusations during the holiday period," says Alex Lane. "Many people feel a great deal of pressure at this time of year to provide expensive gifts for their family members, even if they cannot afford them. This sometimes leads to spending beyond the person's means or desperation to acquire gift items. For most of us, that simply means months of bills. For someone who commits a shoplifting offense, however, it is possible that the repercussions could be much greater."

The statistics seem to back up Lane's assessment of holiday crime. According to the Arizona Division of Public Safety at http://www.azdps.gov/about/reports/docs/crime_in_arizona_report_2011.pdf, November has the highest rate of "pick pocketing" of any month of the year, while shoplifting crimes are highest in December. Wallets were reported stolen or money take from purses at the rate of 63 incidents in November 2011, the last year for which data is available, while total arrests for shoplifting in December of that year reached 4,029.

"While shoplifting or minor theft may not seem very important when compared to crimes like murder or robbery, they can still tarnish your record for years to come," notes Lane. "If you are accused of such a crime, you must think about protecting your rights, even though it may seem to be a 'minor' crime. Additionally, many people each year are accused of theft who are not guilty of stealing anything. If you are accused, you must protect yourself as if the police believe you are guilty even if you have done nothing wrong."

Alex Lane offers some advice for those who may be arrested during the holiday period: "Do not discuss your case with police officers. Do not make any statements or offer any information. Instead, simply ask to speak to an attorney. Once you do so, police officers can no longer continue to ask you questions or use any information they obtain from your answers."

For more ways to protect yourself if you are accused of a crime during the holiday season, contact Alex Lane in Phoenix.

About Alex Lane: Alex Lane is a criminal defense attorney in Phoenix, Arizona, who represents those accused of theft, DUI and other crimes.