WATCH: Surveillance video helps catch baggage thieves at Cleveland Hopkins Airport

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Think about getting off a flight and seeing a thief stroll away together with your baggage.

It’s an issue 19 Investigates discovered appears to be growing at Cleveland Hopkins Worldwide Airport.

19 Investigates appeared into how typically this occurs and the way surveillance video helps police return these gadgets.

We obtained a maintain of safety digital camera footage from the airport that confirmed a thief in motion again in January.

The video confirmed a person lingering round a stopped baggage carousel for a number of minutes.

Two luggage sat on the belt on the time.

He waited till somebody grabbed one of many luggage, after which he walked away with the opposite one.

The luggage theft was caught on three totally different cameras.

19 Investigates additionally obtained police physique digital camera video of what occurred subsequent.

Officers tracked down the suspect, Michael Pissos, who was 38 on the time.

They arrested him whereas he sat ready aboard an RTA practice on the airport station with the stolen bag.

Pissos later pleaded responsible to theft.

The physique cam video exhibits police turned the bag over to an airline employee minutes later.

She was relieved to get it again and advised the officers its proprietor was visiting from London.

There was a contented ending on this case, however we wished to know the way typically baggage thefts are taking place on the airport.

It seems, thieves are strolling away with somebody’s baggage no less than as soon as a month this yr.

19 Investigates discovered about 30 suitcases have been stolen from Cleveland Hopkins from January 1, 2021 by July 2022, in keeping with data we requested from Cleveland Police.

We additionally found baggage thefts are going up.

Thieves stole 13 suitcases within the first six months of this yr, in comparison with 17 suitcases stolen in the whole 12 months final yr.

However total, the variety of luggage stolen is a small fraction of the hundreds of luggage that go house safely from the airport.

We reached out to Cleveland Hopkins to see what they’re doing about baggage thefts.

A spokesperson stated they’re persevering with to have a look at methods to reinforce safety and “This staff is dedicated to implementing improved strategies and finest practices to maintain baggage theft as marginal as attainable.”

Right here is the complete assertion from Cleveland Hopkins Worldwide Airport:

Cleveland Hopkins Worldwide Airport (CLE) works intently with our airline companions to make sure our passengers have a secure and distinctive journey expertise. On uncommon events, passengers’ baggage will be misplaced or stolen, no matter all of the measures taken to forestall these occurrences. Given the elevated passenger quantity this yr from final, statistics could replicate a slight enhance, which will be attributed to the elevated variety of vacationers visiting us day by day. Nevertheless, the variety of baggage thefts compared to the quantity of passengers/baggage is marginal.

As a part of our collaborative strategy, which incorporates our airways, native and federal legislation enforcement companies, staff and different miscellaneous companions, we’re repeatedly taking a look at methods during which we will improve our safety measures to assist us cut back baggage theft, in addition to another kind of passenger theft that will happen on the airport. This staff is dedicated to implementing improved strategies and finest practices to maintain baggage theft as marginal as attainable, and in the end prevented to create a journey expertise that exceeds our passengers’ expectations.

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