INDIANAPOLIS — Holiday shopping is very big business.

In 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau found that the average American household’s retail spending for that December was $3,800. As a nation, the holiday shopping retail tab was a whopping $531.8-billion. Again, that’s just retail spending.

And where that amount money goes, thieves are sure to follow.

That same year across the state of Indiana, Capital One Shoppers Research found retailers lost $1.512 billion to theft.

To protect retailers and customers in Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department plans to be more visible at city shopping centers.

“What we do is have extra patrols (along North Keystone Avenue), and up in 82^nd Street and 86^th Street corridors,” said IMPD Captain Shane Foley. “Our goal is to reduce crime and to make arrests if those things happen.”

Those patrols, dubbed “Holiday Helpers,” are both inside and outside stores. They are intended to deter would-be thieves and assure shoppers IMPD is there to protect them and their purchases.

IMPD will maintain an elevated presence at retails locations through Dec. 29, but more uniformed patrols is not the only line of defense for retailers.

Indianapolis-based shopping mall giant Simon has a security hub. Inside, there are teams of analysts reviewing data and video cameras from its nearly 200 shopping center across the country. In real time, security assessments are made using advanced technology.

“They’re looking at a lot of different things,” Simon Chief Security Officer Russ Tuttle said in a March 2023 interview. “Artificial intelligence. They’re looking at cameras. They’re taking in phone calls. They’re dispatching security officers and police officers around the country.”

There are also signs of increased law enforcement success in thwarting organized retail theft.

Just this week, Queens NY District Attorney Melinda Katz announced a multi-state theft ring has been broken up. The operation allegedly is responsible for stealing $2 million in perfumes, cosmetics, clothes, and other beauty items and then reselling them.

Katz noted that “this group also shipped thousands of products to the Dominican Republic, where they also operated a brick-and-mortar retail store.”

The stores targeted included Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Macy’s, Victoria’s Secret, and American Eagle.

Commonly, the cost of retail inventory losses through theft are passed along in the form of price increases paid for by consumers.

One-way shoppers can protect themselves after making purchases by ensuring their items are not left in plain sight inside their vehicles. IMPD urges people to store purses, packages, parcels and backpacks in the trunk, so they are not visible to would-be thieves.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis Metro Police report that a person died after a shooting on Indy’s east side.

Police say the shooting happened around 11:30 a.m. Friday, in the Braeburn Village apartment complex by East 21st Street and Post Road.

Officers responded to the scene and found a person with injuries consistent with a gunshot wound. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

IMPD has not released the victim’s identity or if a suspect is in custody.

An investigation is underway.

The Miami Dolphins again have three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster.

As part of their customary pregame roster moves ahead of the Thanksgiving night game against the Dallas Cowboys, the Dolphins activated Tyler “Snoop” Huntley off injured reserve to join Tua Tagovailoa and Skylar Thompson on the 53-man roster.

To make room for Huntley, the Dolphins placed linebacker Tyus Bowser on injured reserve. They also elevated newly signed long snapper Zach Triner to the game-day lineup after previous Tucker Addington had used up his three practice squad elevations.

The noteworthy move, though, clearly involved Huntley, who was placed on IR after he sustained a shoulder injury in the Week 7 loss against the Indianapolis Colts, a 16-10 loss during which he made his third start at quarterback.

Because he has yet to practice, one would think that Skylar Thompson would remain the backup quarterback for the game against Green Bay, but it’s certainly open season on the No. 2 job after that.

This move, incidentally, comes two days after head coach Mike McDaniel was asked whether he trusts Thompson in the aftermath of the muffed handoff with rookie Jaylen Wright that ended in a New England touchdown on Thompson’s second play in the game last Sunday.

The head coach offered pretty much the only answer he could: “Yeah, I trust Skylar. I think the situation this past game was unacceptable from just the whole unit. I think that from our perspective, I think across the board that’s not to our standard from the way we came out of the huddle to the execution of plays and then to give up points on an offensive play. And I won’t get into the nitty gritty of – I’m not going to point fingers at a microphone, but ultimately, that falls on everybody involved including the coaches that we can’t have that collective effort. That wasn’t him just responsible for, but my reaction towards it wasn’t strictly based on him; it was more of a tonality with the whole group.”

During his three games, Huntley completed 39 of 66 passes for 377 yards with one touchdown and one interception for a passer rating of 73.9.

The offense, though, took a massive step back with him at quarterback and the week before when Thompson started against the Seattle Seahawks.

The addition of Huntley gives the Dolphins another option, though the question remains whether they have the right option on the roster.

The loss of Bowser leaves the Dolphins with four outside linebackers currently on the 53-man roster — rookie Chop Robinson, Emmanuel Ogbah, Quinton Bell and rookie Mohamed Kamara.

Head coach Mike McDaniel has said that former Pro Bowl selection Bradley Chubb is expected to return at some point in 2024, and the Dolphins also could fellow outside linebacker Cameron Goode back.

The Dolphins declined Thursday to activate Shaquil Barrett off the Reserve/Retired list after he applied to the NFL for reinstatement because he wants to play again.

Bowser will have to miss at least four games before he can return, meaning the first game for which he would be eligible would be against the Cleveland Browns in Week 17.

Huntley becomes the fifth Dolphins player to be activated off IR, joining Tua Tagovailoa, WR River Cracraft, CB Cam Smith and S Patrick McMorris.

That means the Dolphins have three designations left, and that doesn’t count either Chubb or Goode because both of them were on PUP.

Long snapper Blake Ferguson has been eligible to return from the Reserve/Non-Football Illness list, and that one would count against the eight-return limit for the regular season.

The only other player the Dolphins have who’s eligible to return from IR who hasn’t officially been declared out for the season is wide receiver Grant DuBose.