BANGOR – In the wake of a string of purse thefts in Bangor supermarkets and stores, local police are warning consumers, particularly the elderly, to keep an eye and a hand on their valuables.

The elderly are emphasized because of the estimated 20 reports of purses stolen at stores in the last six weeks, all have involved senior citizens, said Detective Sgt. Jeff Millard. The thefts have occurred in large supermarkets, department stores and even smaller stores downtown, he said.

It only takes seconds for hands to slip into a shopping cart and remove a purse or other valuables when the owner is distracted, maybe while picking something from a shelf, Millard said.

Few details are known about any suspect though the same man may be involved. In each case, the women reported seeing a man in the area about the time their purses turned up missing, although police have not yet developed a complete description of the suspect.

In one instance, a woman had asked a man for help getting something off the shelf, although Millard said it wasn’t known whether he was the one who took her purse.

As police work to catch the thief, Millard said, there is something people can do to curb the thefts. As a deterrent, Millard said, people shouldn’t let their valuables out of their sight and, even better, keep them close at hand and secure. And to minimize the impact of the theft, Millard cautioned that people with ATM cards should not keep their personal identification numbers with the card. Doing so makes it easier for the thieves to gain access to your bank accounts, Millard said.

Cash and credit cards are what the suspect is after, and in one case the thief gained access to an account through an ATM card and withdrew money.