Target Shoplifting & Crime-Fighting in the News

Target: Worst Store to Steal From?
I'm an ex-Target employee - why it's the worst store to steal from as there are dark consequences no one talks about

An ex-Target employee has issued a warning to shoplifters, claiming that security tracks people stealing in their stores.

The woman claimed in a TikTok that people caught stealing could rack up hefty bills and fines, as cameras are always able to see what they take. In response, @hoesticia warns the user to never steal from Target. As a past employee, she is familiar with their punishments and restrictions.

"If you want to continue to go to Target, don't steal from them," she said. "Most likely, they already know that you're stealing. They see you on the cameras. Someone's following you. Most likely, they're building a case against you. You're going to get caught."

She also alleges that Target security guards go undercover, dressing in plainclothes and following around anyone they might suspect. In the video's comments, several people confirm @hoesticia's claims, writing that Target purposely allows shoplifters to steal up to a certain amount before taking legal action.

Then, Target gives people an ultimatum- work for them on contract, or go to jail. This isn't the first time TikTokers have made these claims. In 2020, former Target employee Isiah Arellano said that the chain would wait until individuals stole enough goods to obtain the strictest punishments.

"They will continue letting you steal, all the while they're documenting the value amount of every single item that you are stealing," he said in a video. "They will wait until it reaches or exceeds the amount that makes it grand theft larceny, which is an actual felony."

Other employees have shared that Target headquarters keeps binders of evidence on file about 'career' and 'repeat' shoplifters, and when those shoppers enter the stores, Target always knows. the-sun.com

Target's Secret Forensics Lab
Inside Target's secretive forensics lab that helps solve murders and rapes - and catches shoplifters

TARGET has secretive forensics labs that have helped solve an arson-murder and a deadly rape involving a suspect who was once on death row

But the company refused to answer questions about the operation after taking backlash from Black Lives Matter activists in Minnesota following George Floyd's murder. The company's cozy relationship with law enforcement involved grants worth thousands of dollars and a massive surveillance program called "SafeZone/Safe City."

"The genesis of the program was a widespread feeling some years ago in the city of Minneapolis that the downtown business district was not a pleasant place to work or visit," a 2010 report said. "To deal with this problem, the Police Department worked collaboratively with the business community and established SafeZone.

"One of the program's first major initiatives, undertaken with significant support from Target, was installing closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the downtown area."

It was a source of pride for Target, particularly after one of its video analysts - Craig Thrane - played a pivotal role in tracking down convicted killer and sex offender Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. Thrane worked in one of two ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board-accredited forensic labs run and funded by Target that are headquartered in Las Vegas and Minnesota.

Investigators from the lab near Minneapolis also helped police identify Edwin Hall, 27, as the suspect in the murder of 18-year-old Kelsey Smith, Forbes reported. He was arrested the same day Smith's body was found near Longview Lake, Missouri. the-sun.com

One Target Store Makes Up 25% of NYC Precinct's Shoplifting Calls
Upper West Side Target eyed by shoplifters, but store slow to call NYPD

Thieves are targeting an Upper West Side store - but an NYPD official said the retailer doesn't seem to care.

The Target at Columbus Avenue and 98th Street was the location for a quarter of all shoplifting complaints - 69 of the 272 - filed in the 24th Precinct this year, according to NYPD figures provided to The Post.

"They don't call us when it happens. They call us hours after the incident, sometimes days after the incident. It doesn't give us a chance to try and catch the person who did it," Yaguchi said, according to a report. "In 17 years on the job, I've never encountered a situation where the company essentially refuses to call us. But they're okay with calling us days later to make a report that satisfies some insurance requirements that they have."

Petty larcenies, which include shoplifting, have exploded in the precinct this year, jumping 114 percent through March 20 to 409, compared to 191 during the same period last year.

An NYPD spokeswoman said the department would "continue to work with individuals at Target to address the ongoing condition." Target denied that it was only reporting crime because of an insurance requirement.

The company acknowledged that shoplifting was a wide problem and that, in October, its Manhattan stores began limiting their hours because of it, opening from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. instead of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. A spokesman said additional security staff had been added to the Columbus Avenue store, including undercover guards. nypost.com

   In Case You Missed It: NYPD Takes Aim at Target's Shoplifting Policy

Another Branch of ORC Targeted by Lawmakers
Lawmaker proposes crackdown on porch pirates

Nearly two thirds of all Americans have been victims of porch pirates, with 210 million packages swiped from doorsteps nationwide just last year.

Throughout the pandemic, "porch piracy", which is packages being stolen from people's doorsteps, has skyrocketed, according to law enforcement. At this point, laws treats most of these crimes only as misdemeanors.

A California lawmaker is now taking steps to crack down on these thefts, which lead to millions of dollars in losses every year. With more people ordering items on-line during the pandemic, package thieves have been busier than ever.

"Package thieves have become more sophisticated," said State Assemblymember Brian Maienschein (D-77th AD), who unveiled a trio of Assembly bills Friday to crack down on this crime of opportunity.

The three proposals:

● AB 1698 would would establish the crime of organized package theft, when a porch pirate works in concert with at least one other person: with a potential sentence of up to one year in jail.

● AB 1699 would place a point on the driver's license of anyone who obtains a vehicle, such as a U-haul or other truck, for the purpose of committing organized package or retail theft.

● AB 1700 would create an online reporting platform for the public to report suspected stolen goods for sale on online re-selling sites.

If passed, California would join a growing number of states clamping down on porch piracy. In New Jersey, convicted package thieves can now face three to five years behind bars. In Arkansas, it is considered a felony that can lead to six years in prison. cbs8.com

Attorney General Raoul Meets With Law Enforcement and Retailers to Discuss Organized Retail Crime
Attorney General Kwame Raoul convened a meeting with representatives of law enforcement agencies and the retail industry to discuss collaborations to strengthen investigations and prosecutions of individuals and enterprises involved in organized retail crime.

Attorney General Raoul visited Springfield, Illinois to host a discussion between the Attorney General's chief of investigations and prosecutors from the office, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois Gregory Harris, Springfield Police Chief Ken Scarlette, and the retail industry. The meeting is part of his Organized Retail Crime Task Force's work to enhance cooperation among retailers, online marketplaces, law enforcement agencies and state's attorneys.

"The effects of organized retail crime are not limited to any one region of our state, particularly when the sales of stolen merchandise often fund additional criminal activity - such as the drug trade and human trafficking," Raoul said. "I appreciate U.S. Attorney Harris, Chief Scarlette and our partners from law enforcement and retail taking time to discuss collaborations aimed at addressing these crimes. Organized retail crime is a complex issue that will require a multifaceted solution, such as providing law enforcement with tools that will improve investigations and increase successful prosecutions."

The Attorney General's Organized Retail Crime Task Force is comprised of career investigators and prosecutors from the Attorney General's Criminal Enforcement Division working in concert with the U.S. Secret Service, the Department of Homeland Security, the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, the Illinois Association of State's Attorneys, and local law enforcement agencies throughout Illinois.  illinoisattorneygeneral.gov

Using Drones to Fight the NYC Crime Surge
Eric Adams considering using drones to fight NYC crime, sources say
Mayor Eric Adams is mulling a mini-army of drones to fight surging crime in the Big Apple - possibly deploying the high-flying robocops from rooftops as watchful guardians of Gotham, sources told The Post.

Tel Aviv-based Blue White Robotics and Easy Aerial of Brooklyn were two drone manufacturers featured earlier this month at an event to launch a NYC-Israel Chamber of Commerce.

Adams attended the gathering in the Williamsburg Hotel, and sources said the mayor was so impressed with the joint presentation that he suggested his chief technology officer Matthew Fraser and the firms' honchos begin talks about the city potentially buying drones and expanding the NYPD's use of them.

The aerial cops won't be weaponized or provide facial recognition, but they're equipped with thermal cameras allowing for night vision and sensors that can be used for radiation detection and other features.

The feed from the drones could be sent to the NYPD command center or even a cop's cell phone. The drones could also be used to prevent crime. Cops monitoring them could remotely set off flashing lights on the drones and issue voice warnings over its speakers - such as "Move away!" to a potential perpetrator. nypost.com

Eric Adams says NYC has become 'a laughingstock' amid surge in crime

Workers say crime-ridden NYC not worth the hassle anymore

Fallout Continues After Family Dollar Rat Infestation Closures
Family Dollar & Dollar Tree workers describe stores as 'unhygienic & disgusting,' with rodents taking shelter in stock rooms that are stuffed full of boxes

Workers at these chains say that pest issues have been going on for years.

These workers described the conditions in the chains' stores as "unhygienic and disgusting," where rodents roam in backrooms that are piled high with boxes, and around stores that are rarely cleaned.

Their comments, which come in the wake of an FDA investigation that unearthed a rodent infestation at one of Family Dollar's distribution centers in Arkansas and led to it temporarily closing 404 stores, suggest that the rodent issues are far more widespread than at just one warehouse.

In a statement to Insider, Kayleigh Campbell, a spokesperson for both Dollar Tree and Family Dollar said that the company is "committed to providing safe and quality products" for customers and "complying with all applicable federal, state and local occupational health and safety laws."

'To call it chaotic is an understatement'

While Jayson hasn't seen a live rodent in the shopping area of his store, he has disposed of dead rats caught in traps in the stock room and come across rodent faeces. "My location is constantly dirty, floors not maintained, dirt and dust everywhere, and completely infested with spiders," he said.

"There is so much stuff in the back room that you can't move it all to clean, even if we had the time or were asked to," he added.

Jayson said that the company knowingly understaffs its stores to keep costs down, which means there aren't enough workers to empty these backrooms. But even if there were, the company's chaotic inventory system means that his store is still completely overstocked all the time, he said. businessinsider.com

OSHA: Dollar Tree 'Repeatedly Endangered Employees'
Dollar Tree was slapped with a $32K fine over a cluttered store, which Oregon safety officials said repeatedly endangered workers

The OSHA body said in a statement that the store exposed "employees to serious physical harm."

The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration slapped Dollar Tree with a $32,000 penalty after finding the company repeatedly endangered employees at one cluttered location.

In a statement released Wednesday, Oregon OSHA stated that the Dollar Tree in Wilsonville, Oregon, was "repeatedly exposing employees to potential serious injury from unsecured materials falling on them, tripping and falling in cramped aisles, and inaccessible fire extinguishers and emergency exits."

According to Oregon OSHA, workplace hazards at the Wilsonville store included unstable boxes of merchandise, overly narrow aisles and walkways, a stockroom that saw merchandise and equipment blocking access to fire extinguishers and emergency exits, and a general "failure to keep written records of safety committee meetings for three years."

After conducting an investigation, the state OSHA body found five violations - including four repeat offenses, stemming from an earlier inspection on January 9, 2018 that saw three violations but incurred no fines - that they contended were "exposing employees to serious physical harm." Oregon OSHA issued a $32,000 fine against the Virginia-based dollar store chain. businessinsider.com

Russia's Retail Exodus Continues
As western retail brands exit, Russia looks east for replacements
Russia is looking to China, India, Iran and Turkey to plug the gap created by an exodus of western retail companies, an industry body said on Friday, as Moscow grapples to find ways to combat its growing isolation in the face of sanctions.

The Russian Council of Shopping Centres (RCSC), an organisation representing developers, shopping centre owners and retail chain operators, said it was negotiating with its corresponding representatives in the four countries about finding alternatives to western brands.

"A list of foreign companies that have temporarily ceased operations in Russia was sent to them so that appropriate equivalents can be found," a statement on the RCSC website read. "Over time this will help supplement or completely replace goods of the defunct brands with ones of a similar quality and design."

Dozens of big brands have temporarily shuttered operations or exited the country since Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what it calls a special operation.

Sanctions have hampered supply chains and fuelled panic buying among some Russians, with medicine and sugar shortages reported, and accelerating inflation is set to send prices higher.  reuters.com

Another Starbucks Store Unionizes
Starbucks Union Notches Another Victory With Eighth Store

So far the union has filed petitions for elections at more than 150 Starbucks locations.

The union organizing Starbucks workers extended its winning streak on Friday, adding an eighth store to the list of unionized locations.

Employees at the store in Mesa, Arizona, voted to join Workers United by a count of 11 to 3, according to a vote tally conducted by the National Labor Relations Board. That brings the union's success tally to five stores in the Buffalo area, two in Mesa and one in Starbucks' hometown of Seattle.

The coffee chain has roughly 9,000 corporate-owned stores around the country, of which those eight are the first to unionize. The newly organized shops represent a tiny fraction of Starbucks' overall workforce, but the union has petitioned for elections at 150 stores in 27 states, making it almost certain more workers will join. huffpost.com

Deserting Downtown? Several retail stores close storefronts in Detroit

Americans can't blame Russia alone for soaring gas & grocery prices, expert says


Last week's #1 article --

NYPD Blasts Target for Attracting Shoplifters
Police Chief Takes Aim at Target's Shoplifting Policy
Shoplifting is rising on the Upper West Side, as is NYPD's frustration with at least one retailer, Target at 795 Columbus Avenue [98th Street].

"One-third of our petit larcenies are coming from that Target," Deputy Inspector Naoki Yaguchi told a packed house at Wednesday evening's 24th Precinct Community Council meeting held at Bloomingdale Library.

During the January 1st through March 13th period, the 24th recorded 369 total petit larcenies vs.178 in 2021, an increase of 107 percent, according to NYPD CompStat data. Going by Yaguchi's math, an estimated 123 incidents were from the Target.

"We are having a really serious problem with Target shoplifting. They don't call us when it happens. They call us hours after the incident, sometimes days after the incident. It doesn't give us a chance to try and catch the person who did it," said Yaguchi. "In 17 years on the job, I've never encountered a situation where the company essentially refuses to call us. But they're okay with calling us days later to make a report that satisfies some insurance requirements that they have."  westsiderag.com

Calif. AG charges 9 people in organized retail thefts in Sacramento & around state
Nine people accused of being part of an organized theft ring that hit major retailers throughout the state such as Macy's, Lululemon and Abercrombie & Fitch face felony charges filed this week by the California Department of Justice. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law last year aimed at curbing a rash of violent smash-and-grab thefts like a recent case at a Roseville jewelry store, where a mob rushes in, grabs merchandise and runs for the door. The law re-established organized retail theft, which can be charged as a felony or misdemeanor. "Organized retail theft hurts businesses, employees, and the public - and this criminal activity will not be tolerated in California," Attorney General Rob Bonta stated in a Friday news release. "Today we take another step toward tackling this issue by announcing the arrests and felony charges against individuals alleged to be participants in an organized criminal scheme targeting retailers throughout our state."

The arrests resulted from an investigation launched last year by the California Highway Patrol, partnering with the Justice Department, local law enforcement and retailers. The thefts occurred in counties around the state, including Sacramento, investigators allege. Other counties in which the ring operated were Los Angeles, Alameda, Fresno, Kern, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Ventura, according to the release. "This case exemplifies law enforcement's collective commitment to enhance public safety throughout the state of California," CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray said. "I applaud the efforts of our investigators who have worked tirelessly on this case which resulted in the arrests and recovery of the stolen merchandise." sacbee.com

New Mexico: Police arrest 17 in weeklong Shoplifting Operation
From Albuquerque to Santa Fe, police are trying to make sure everything that leaves stores-- is paid for. APD has been working with the attorney general's office for months to tackle organized retail crime. They caught serial shoplifters at Home Depot in September. A man in the act at Target in February, and a felony shoplifter with 1,100 worth of merchandise from a different Target earlier this month. This weekend, APD Chief Medina tweeted out thanks to his officers and the attorney general's office for another effort. They caught 17 repeat felony offenders during a week-long operation. Some had existing arrest warrants for previous shoplifting, auto theft, probation violations, and other crimes.

Police identified one man as a Walmart employee who police overheard supporting shoplifters. Officers also returned thousands of dollars in stolen merchandise, and found two stolen vehicles and a firearm. 'Any place you're gonna have a lot of retail shopping there's probably going to be an uptick only because it's a target-rich environment for criminals,' said Santa Fe police Lt. Thomas Grundler. Officers executed 'operation shopping cart' on Friday in the Santa Fe's Zafarano Drive Business District. It's home to Lowe's, Target, Best Buy, and other big box stores. 'This was in direct relation to an uptick we saw in shoplifting, disorderly conduct and unsafe driving,' said Grundler.

Officers arrested six people, they also served several active warrants for previous shoplifting, burglary and aggravated fleeing from law enforcement. 'We do try to do things like this as often as we can. They're proactive and they're in direct response to usually stats that we see,' Grundler said. An APD spokesperson says recent investigations into retail crime have lead to information about the city's illegal narcotics market, stolen vehicles, and human trafficking. 'Depending on who's arrested, what they're arrested for, investigations may want to interview them in terms of what information they may have that could lead to solving other crimes,' said Grundler. Santa Fe Police Department says it plans to do more of these types of operations when they have the man power because of their success, and the fact that it's a direct response in problem areas of the city. amp.kob.com

Columbia, SC: Shoplifter who targeted Walmart stole items from toys to guns
A man who stole items ranging from guns to toys at an area Walmart was arrested on multiple charges, the Columbia Police Department said. Christopher Ulysees Cunningham was booked at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center Monday, jail records show. The 32-year-old Richland County resident was charged with 14 counts of shoplifting, first-degree assault and battery, and second-degree burglary. thestate.com

South Lake Tahoe, CA: Police arrest local man after merchandise purchased fraudulently
An investigation into the use of a victim's Home Depot credit account has led to the arrest of a South Lake Tahoe man. Officer Dylan Sullivan of the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) took a report of the fraudulent use of the victim's account on March 22, 2022. Over $5,500 worth of tools and equipment had been obtained illegally. Sullivan's investigation led to the suspect, Waylon Earl Pickett, a 37-year-old man from South Lake Tahoe. The officer got a search warrant for Pickett's residence, and on March 25, served the search warrant with the assistance of SLTPD detectives. According to the police report, officers located thousands of dollars of stolen property stolen with the victim's credit card. Officer Sullivan arrested Waylon Pickett for identity theft, possession of stolen property, and grand theft. southtahoenow.com

Cleveland, OH: $4,700 in suspected stolen merchandise recovered from man's car
North Olmsted police officers recovered about $4,700 in suspected stolen merchandise from an SUV driven by the suspect after he was accused of trying to steal electronics from a Best Buy store. Police officers at 7:06 p.m. March 5 arrived at Best Buy regarding a report that the store had stopped a shoplifting suspect as he attempted to leave. A store manager told the police officers that store employees recognized the man as a suspect in earlier thefts, but he had not previously been apprehended, according to a police report. cleveland.com

Perry County, MS: Over 40 guns stolen from Perry Co. store, 7 arrested
Three men and four minors were arrested in connection to a commercial burglary in Beaumont that happened on Tuesday, March 22. The owner of Perry County Outfitters said he went to open the store around 8:30 a.m. and noticed the front door had been forced open. Perry County deputies and Beaumont police responded. They estimated that 44 guns had been stolen from the store. Deputies arrested 3 adult males, three male minors and one female minor. All were charged with commercial burglary. wjtv.com