Voters May Approve Even Tougher Anti-Theft Measure in California
Are California's new anti-theft laws enough to defeat Prop. 36? Don't bet on it
Gov. Gavin Newsom may have placated some big retailers when he signed a package of bills last week that aims to deter retail thefts, including the "smash and grab" robberies that have shocked and disgusted so many Californians. But that may not be enough to turn the tide against Proposition 36, the contentious measure on the November ballot that Newsom and some other top Democrats oppose.

For that, Newsom and company have no one to blame but themselves. Had they responded more quickly to the rise in property crimes, the public might have less of an appetite for rolling back some of the elements of Proposition 47, the 2014 voter-approved initiative that downgraded certain drug and property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors.

Prop. 36 - backed by a growing coalition of law enforcement agencies, Republican lawmakers and some Democrats - takes a tougher approach, especially on repeat offenders. It includes many measures contained in the legislative package signed by Newsom, but it's much broader in scope. It increases penalties not just for thefts, but also for drug offenses. .

Newsom's office described the anti-theft bills he signed as "the most significant legislation to address property crime in modern California history." Voters should view such hyperbole with some skepticism. The 10 bills will make it easier to prosecute and punish property crimes. They would allow thefts occurring at multiple locations by the same suspect or suspects to be counted together instead of separately. That's important because, in California, a felony grand theft charge is triggered by the theft of $950 in property or more.

Prop. 36 would make a third petty theft a potential felony, which is disallowed under Prop. 47 (it requires a follow-up proposition, such as 36, to amend any of the specific sentencing reforms contained within it). Legislation can amend sentencing approaches not contained in the voter-approved measure. In addition, the bills that Newsom signed added sentencing enhancements for large-scale theft operations. They add penalties when a business is damaged during a theft and allow for the prosecution of property stolen from locked or unlocked vehicles. Targeting organized retail theft rings rather than shoplifters stealing out of need is the right approach. Yet if this legislation is so significant, why wasn't it passed months ago? Instead, Newsom and some Democratic leaders wasted time trying to kill Prop. 36.  sacbee.com

   RELATED: California targets organized retail crime


California Cracking Down on Cargo Theft
"Protecting our businesses and the critical shipping routes they depend on."

Alanis' cargo theft bill signed by Governor Newsom
Assemblyman Juan Alanis' bill to provide additional resources and equipment to jurisdictions identified with high levels of cargo theft, through the California Organized Retail Crime Task Force, was signed into law by Governor Newsom on Friday. The bill went into immediate effect upon the governor's signature.

"I'm proud of the work my team and I have done to build consensus around a solution to an issue that has continued to decimate our communities," said Assemblymember Alanis. "As part of the larger bipartisan legislative retail theft package, AB 1972 moves the needle toward protecting our businesses and the critical shipping routes they depend on."

Existing law authorizes the Governor to appoint and commission individuals designated by a railroad company to serve as police officers. Existing law, until January 1, 2026, requires the Department of the California Highway Patrol to coordinate with the Department of Justice to convene a regional property crimes task force to identify geographic areas experiencing increased levels of property crimes and assist local law enforcement with resources, such as personnel and equipment.

This bill would require the task force to assist railroad police and would specify cargo theft as a property crime for consideration by the regional property crimes task force. AB 1972 was signed alongside other retail theft package bills.   cerescourier.com


More Retailers Crack Down on Unaccompanied Minors Amid Crime Surge
Area Giant stores implementing new policy on unaccompanied minors
A new policy is coming to select Giant Food locations: stores will not allow any unaccompanied minors in the evenings. The new policy states that shoppers under the age of 18 may not enter without an adult after 6 p.m. A spokesperson with Giant released the following statement:

"Giant Food has initiated a new policy at select stores that are experiencing high shrink to mitigate the unprecedented levels of product theft that have become unsustainable for our business. Starting August 22nd at select stores, shoppers under the age of 18 may not enter without an adult after 6 p.m.

"Retail theft in our market area affects everyone. It limits product availability, creates a less convenient shopping experience, and, most critically, puts our associates and customers in harm's way. Still, we continue to invest in improving safety for our associates and customers and reducing theft. At Giant Food, the well-being of our community, customers, and associates is paramount. We sincerely appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work together to create a more secure shopping environment for everyone."

Two Baltimore locations will implement the new policy, with the Waverly location (33rd Street) and the location at 5150 Sinclair Lane, starting on Aug. 22. This change comes months after the store implemented a "no bags or backpacks" policy at the same locations.

Several Giant locations in the Washington, D.C., area are also using similar policies, with some stores allowing backpacks as long as customers allow them to be searched. wbaltv.com


Product Lockups Prevent Theft But Also Lead to Sales Drop
Shoppers turn away from stores that lock up toiletries and other items due to theft

Walgreens, CVS, Target, Walmart and other stores see drop in sales after locking items in plastic cabinets

Retailers like Walgreens and CVS are losing less merchandise, but are also losing money by keeping basic toiletries like deodorant and toothpaste locked up in those plastic cabinets.

Both Walgreens and Target stores in downtown Minneapolis now lock up the majority of their toiletries. One anonymous worker at Walgreens told WCCO Radio that any toiletry item they don't lock up is almost guaranteed to be stolen, and that most of it gets resold on the street. The same worker pointed out toothpaste that was not locked up, and the shelves were virtually empty due to theft.

According to a story in Axios, secured cases can cause sales to drop 15% to 25%.

There could be a technology-based solution for stories however. CNN says stores are now testing a security tool that lets customers use their cell phone to unlock products on the shelf. It's essentially self-service for unlocking display cases in exchange for a customer's phone number. audacy.com


Shoppers Praise Anti-Theft Measures
Letter to the Editor: Retail theft is a crisis
It is very sad to see the last local Hi-School Pharmacy close. A year ago, I was shopping at Safeway in Salmon Creek. Within three minutes of entering the store, I was robbed by two women and I was targeted because I am old. I finished my shopping, got ready to pay and my purse had been stolen, so I was in a panic, everything gone in a flash, even my car keys. The credit cards were used within 15 minutes of the robbery. The video showed the two women jumping for joy as they ran out of the store.

This is not about the stand-up citizens, this is about the amount of theft that retailers have to deal with on a daily basis, which is out of control. It is the reason that products are in locked glass cases and why retail stores have to close their stores. Personally, I am glad that stores have made this decision to lock up products. I feel much safer. columbian.com


Fairfax County police chief discusses high-end organized retail theft

Hamilton County, TN Sheriff's Office launches new mobile app & online crime dashboard
 

Know What's Leaving Your Store the Moment it Does
with CONTROLTEK's Enhanced Exit

CONTROLTEK's Enhanced Exit Solution leverages RFID technology to provide invaluable insights into store operations. Deployed with several retailers, this solution empowers you to:

• Safeguard Merchandise: Monitor exits, high-theft areas, and unauthorized zones.

• Enhance Security Measures: Receive real-time text message and email notifications when merchandise leaves your store.

• Optimize Operational Efficiency: Gain visibility into inventory and streamline asset protection.

Defending Against External Threats

External threats, particularly from ORC groups, pose significant challenges. Dynamic alerting capabilities allow for swift responses to potential ORC incidents, empowering retailers to disrupt criminal activities effectively.

Enhanced Exit provides a robust defense by enabling real-time notifications based on your criteria.

• Receive immediate alerts via email or SMS when items exit the store without being purchased.

• Customize notifications based on your criteria. For example, be notified when:

  • Specific or high-theft items leave the store without authorization.

  • Multiple items are detected exiting simultaneously.

• Point-of-Sale (POS) whitelisting ensures that RFID-tagged merchandise paid for at the register will not trigger an alert.

• Effortlessly integrates with your VMS to streamline and expedite investigations.

Proactive Measures for Internal Theft

Internal theft can go undetected until significant losses occur. Enhanced Exit enables proactive measures within stores and distribution centers.

• Real-time Alerts: Triggered when merchandise moves outside designated zones or into unauthorized areas like employee break areas, restrooms, or back-of-house exits.

• Video Integration: Facilitate swift investigation and deterrence of future incidents by integrating with your current video monitoring system.

Torrance, CA: Nearly $400,000 in stolen retail merchandise recovered following arrests in Southern California
Three people have been charged with stealing nearly $400,000 in goods and selling counterfeit items at a swap meet in Southern California, a California Highway Patrol taskforce announced on Tuesday. Jose Cuadra, 41, was charged with two felony counts of receiving stolen property, one felony count of organized retail theft in concert with two or more persons and one felony count of the manufacture and sale of counterfeit mark. Cuadra was arrested at his Los Angeles home after investigators with the California Highway Patrol's Organized Retail Crime Taskforce identified him as the leader of the fence operation, or an operation that deals in stolen goods. The stolen merchandise was being sold at an "open-air market in Torrance."  vcstar.com


Boston, MA: Update: Man sentenced to prison for stealing $32,000 in merchandise from Gucci store at Wrentham outlets
A Washington, D.C., man was sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Boston to stealing $32,000 worth of merchandise from a Gucci store in Massachusetts back in 2021. Linworth Hayes Crawford III, 30, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to eight months in federal prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. He must also pay $32,000 in restitution to the Gucci store at the Wrentham Village Premium Outlets. He had pleaded not guilty in February to one count of conspiracy to transport stolen goods in interstate commerce and one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods. Prosecutors say on the night of Sept. 16, 2021, Crawford and several other co-defendants traveled from the Washington, D.C., area to the Wrentham outlets and smashed the glass front door of the Gucci store, stealing $32,000 in high-end merchandise, including handbags, duffle bags, backpacks and sunglasses. The day after the theft, one of the co-defendants allegedly posted on his Instagram account that he had Gucci bags available for sale. Images of the bags appeared to be identical to the ones stolen from the Wrentham store.  nbcboston.com


Las Cruces, NM: Las Cruces business steals more than $8K of merchandise as part of retail crime operation
A woman was recently arrested after a Las Cruces business was discovered to be running an organized retail crime operation that stole more than $8,000 in merchandise, according to the Las Cruces Police Department. The woman was charged under the state's Organized Retail Crime Act after investigators executed search warrants where merchandise that was stolen had been sold or stored as part of an organized retail crime operation run through a local business, police said. The woman has not been identified and the business involved will also not be identified as the investigation is ongoing, police said. The recovered stolen property included clothing, cleaning supplies, health and beauty supplies, hardware, electronics, general household goods and building supplies. Police say the investigation began in May with the Police Department's Community Outreach and Street Crimes units and agents with Homeland Security investigators and loss prevention investigators from retail stores.  ktsm.com


Warrington Township, PA: New Jersey Woman Charged In Theft Of $1200 of Cosmetics from Target

Seven Hills, OH: Man gets take sign, caught stealing $1,000 worth of baseball cards

The Woodlands,TX: 5 Burglars caught on video ramming stolen car into entrance of gun shop in The Woodlands

Kitchner, ON, Canada: Thieves record themselves stealing $900 worth of cosmetics in Guelph