The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) will receive $15.6 million in new funding as part of a statewide handout to fight organized retail theft.
LASD will use this funding to support the department’s recently created Organized Retail Theft Task Force and the County Board of Supervisors, who oversee the Sheriff’s budget, formally authorized acceptance of the grant this week.
The Sheriff’s Task Force is a partnership with neighboring law enforcement organizations to tackle the rising tide of theft targeting retail establishments across the county. The group contains more than 30 officers who are dedicated to preventing and addressing organized retail theft, including smash-and-grabs, catalytic converter thefts, and cargo theft.
“The shameless smash and grabs need to be stopped,” said Supervisor Hahn. “These are not petty thefts — these are organized violent operations that rob businesses of thousands upon thousands of dollars in merchandise, physically damage stores, and traumatize retail workers. This is a priority and with this $15.6 million grant, the Sheriff’s Department will have new resources to prevent these smash-and-grabs and root out the criminal organizations behind them.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom previously announced $267,118,293 would be sent to local law enforcement agencies as part of the state’s largest-ever single investment to combat organized retail crime
In announcing the investment earlier this year, Newsom said the funding, part of the his Real Public Safety Plan and will be dispersed on October 1, 2023, to 34 police departments, seven sheriffs’ departments, one probation department, and 13 district attorney offices to prevent and investigate cases of organized retail theft and arrest and prosecute more suspects.
“These brazen organized retail theft sprees are hurting business communities across the county and retail companies are losing billions of dollars annually,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, who joined Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting. “Our Retail Theft Task Force through our Major Crimes Bureau is focused on reducing these crimes by targeting these crews and aggressively pursuing not just those who commit the theft, but everyone in the criminal chain. This Organized Retail Theft Grant will allow us to continue to investigate retail theft crimes and provide dedicated staff and equipment necessary to continue to combat these thefts.”
Retail theft has become a national problem hitting stores large and small.
According to a new survey by the National Retail Federation, the average losses from theft in FY 2022 increased to 1.6%, up from 1.4% the previous year.
According to the report, organized retail crime (ORC) remains a significant concern due to heightened levels of violence. More than two-thirds (67%) of respondents said they were seeing even more violence and aggression from ORC perpetrators compared with a year ago.
“Even though retailers continue to enhance their loss prevention and asset protection measures, sometimes more drastic action must be taken,” said the report. “Retailers reported being forced to close a specific store location (28%), reduce operating hours (45%) or reduce or alter in-store product selection (30%) as a direct result of retail crime.”
National retailer Target announced Tuesday it would close nine stores in four states, including one in East Harlem, New York and three in San Francisco, saying that theft and organized retail crime have threatened the safety of its workers and customers. The closings, which will be effective Oct. 21, will also include three stores in Portland, Oregon and two in Seattle. The Minneapolis retailer said Tuesday it will offer affected workers the opportunity to transfer to other stores. While the store closings account for just a fraction of the 1,900 stores Target operates nationwide, the move is significant. It underscores the big challenges that retailers like Target face in reducing theft in stores as they wrestle with protecting their workers and customers while trying to serve the community.
The Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) also received money from the state. SMPD received a $6.125 million grant to continue and enhance efforts to combat organized retail theft in the City.
Funding will directly support the ongoing targeted, innovative, and technology-based efforts by the SMPD to improve safety for residents and business owners.
This new funding, authorized by Governor Newsom, will further the establishment of the Santa Monica Analytical Real-Time Center, or SMART Center, which will bring together technology and support staff to synthesize and interpret real-time data to strategically allocate police resources to address crime throughout the city.
AP Retail Writer ANNE D’INNOCENZIO contributed to this report.