Fox News spoke to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Organized Retail Theft Task Force as a large fence was being erected at what appears to be a shopping center in a high-crime area near downtown Los Angeles.
The location was actually a hidden store for a retail crime syndicate. Dozens of Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies swarmed the area and detained several people, including a man believed to have helped carry out the operation.
Investigators are still sorting through the huge amount of store merchandise found during the fencing raid. Once the work is complete, they believe he will be able to recover more than $500,000 in stolen merchandise from a variety of retailers including Nordstrom, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Sephora, Nordstrom and Food 4 Less.
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We watched as lawmakers removed heavy containers filled with goods ranging from hygiene products and clothing to kitchen appliances from hidden storefronts. Inspector Robert Peacock commented on the rampant slap and grab crimes in California. He said: “This kind of thing happens so often in retail that sometimes people don’t react and don’t report it, so it’s easy for them to get away with it.”
Capt. Peacock also said, “There’s a lot stacked against us. I think people tend to think that the laws are lenient in California when it comes to these types of crimes, and that’s probably true, so we do that.” “I’m working on it,” he said. We need to do some work related to legislation and change some laws. ”
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna speaks during a press conference announcing new efforts to curb recent retail theft at City Hall in Los Angeles, California, August 17, 2023. (Frederick J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
There is currently a bipartisan effort to change Proposition 47. This is a criminal justice reform measure that lowers the penalties for many property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. Critics of the policy have long argued that the voter-approved measure led thieves to believe they could commit theft without facing any consequences. Meanwhile, retail theft remains a major problem in California.
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The Los Angeles Police Department announced that the shoplifting rate increased by 80% from 2022 to 2023. In October, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department expanded its Property and Robbery Task Force with additional personnel from various departments, forming three teams to work in the area. The new task force is now called the Organized Retail Task Force.
The Sheriff’s Office said, “Thanks to these new teams, we have increased our caseload, conducted more surveillance operations, apprehended an increased number of suspects involved in retail crimes, and increased our after-hours response, weekend calls, And it makes it possible to carry out “blitzkrieg”.
Los Angeles, California – August 17: Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Chris Pitcher (left) and Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna hold a press conference to investigate, arrest, and charge a suspect in a retail theft. announced the establishment of a task force to Grab held at City Hall in Los Angeles, California in recent weeks. (Irrfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
This task force also works closely with the LAPD and CHP task forces to combat organized retail crime. Since October, the task force has carried out multiple operations.
“Since the task force was established, there have been 555 felonies and 72 misdemeanors,” a department spokesperson said.
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“We arrested a total of 546 suspects related to retail theft crimes, executed 334 warrants, recovered 48 firearms, and recovered over $8.26 million worth of stolen merchandise.”
