Dallas Police Chief announces new "organized retail theft" program. Dallas Police Chief David Brown says the holiday shopping season is the perfect time to launch an aggressive enforcement of shoplifting, which he calls a criminal enterprise that includes the thief, the fence, or seller, and the buyer. Brown: Many neighborhoods will see products being sold out of the trunks of cars on the corner, or vendors set up in empty lots selling tennis shoes and technological gadgets. That is the very industry, that black market that contributes to this organized criminal enterprise. City officials say retail theft cost the city 20 million dollars in lost sales tax revenue last year. Chief Brown says this new campaign will use the latest technology, old fashioned undercover police work, and aggressive prosecution by the District Attorney to get at the whole "criminal" chain - the shoplifter, the seller, AND the buyer. At a City Hall announcement, the Chief had a warning for bargain-hunting shoppers. Brown: First of all, if it's too good to be true, it's stolen. That's the bottom line. I will caution anyone for buying property from anyone you don't know outside of traditional means. Jamie Bourne, with Target, applauds the new police initiative. Bourne: It's not just about people coming in and taking one or two CD's in our stores. We're talking about people who make a living stealing from retail establishments and re-selling those products on the streets. Bourne says in North Texas, Sherman, Plano and Flower Mound have similar, strong organized retail theft programs in place. Dallas Police say they have high expectations they will take down some major shoplifting rings. (Source publicbroadcsting.net)