North Face Coat Thefts Rise on Metro

Metro Transit Police undercover cops will be sporting fashionable winter wear soon.

The assistant chief of the agency, Jeff Telinski, told the transit agency's board of directors on Thursday that rail systems on the West Coast are reporting an increase in coat robberies. Coats manufactured by North Face are popular targets.

Telinski informed the board that some of the plainclothes officers in the robbery squad will soon be wearing similar coats because the transit police have purchased a few.

The idea is to put the coat on or near a "bait officer." Other casual clothes cops will be nearby. If the coat is snatched, the squad plans to nab the thief.

The robbery squad has successfully used the same practice with expensive cell phones and music players.