Here at Consumerist, we have a slight obsession with stories in the news about people attempting to steal meat by shoving it down their pants, a crime that is simultaneously sad and hilarious. Now there’s a report out of Charleston, West Virginia that the city is experiencing a meat-theft epidemic, with supermarket employees patrolling the shelves.

The crime is sad because the people are sometimes taking the meat to sell, and sometimes taking the meat because they’re hungry. Charleston also happens to be a city that, like many American cities, has serious problems with heroin addiction.

WOWK looked at the problem, and found four thefts dating back to May of this year. Stores hit included Foodland and Kroger, and the meat stolen ranged in value from $135 to $170. We don’t know what the street value of a stolen steak would be, but it’s definitely lower than that. WOWK also did not state whether any of the shoplifting suspects shoved the stolen meats down their pants.

The manager of one Foodland store called the thefts an “ongoing problem,” and stores have been managing the same way they would deal with any shoplifting issue: with lots of surveillance cameras and employees patrolling the aisles personally to let shoppers know that they’re being watched.

Grocery stores respond to meat thefts across Charleston [WOWK]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.