If You're Wearing Canada Goose, Be on the Alert in DC

If you're the proud owner of a Canada Goose coat, you know you'll be kept cozy and warm in style this winter as you brave the elements. Thieves know that, too, which is why they're going after people in Washington, DC, who are sporting jackets from the Canadian luxury outerwear company. Per the BBC, police in the nation's capital are warning residents and visitors alike to stay aware of their surroundings after at least seven robberies of people wearing the popular coats over the last two months.

DC's Metropolitan Police Department notes that some of the perps carried guns, and some victims were hurt during the incidents, which often occurred in broad daylight and in busy areas, per the Globe and Mail. 7News details some of the cases, which started in December when a couple says they were assaulted while in the northeastern part of the city with their young kids. Another couple visiting the city was attacked earlier this month as they walked around Dupont Circle neighborhood in the middle of the afternoon.

"Someone's like, 'Gimme your coat! Gimme your coat!' And I thought, is this a joke?" one of the victims tells the BBC, adding that they handed their coats over to the gunmen. "These jackets are very expensive, and our community members should be mindful while wearing them, even in very public spaces," reads an advisory from George Washington University, near where at least two incidents involving the coats have taken place at gunpoint. Just how expensive are they? The prices of the coats that were lifted range somewhere between $500 and $1,500, note the BBC and other outlets.

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Canada Goose-tied thefts have taken place in other US cities, including Chicago, and even across the pond in the UK. Meanwhile, authorities say if anyone tries to snatch your Canada Goose jacket from you (or any piece of clothing), just give it up. "Property is not worth your life," Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Patrick Loftus tells the BBC. Instead, he notes, "try to get a good description of that person, and we want people to call 911." (More Canada Goose stories.)