The California Highway Patrol’s statewide “Operation Holiday Watch” led to the arrest of 117 retail theft suspects at shopping destinations across the Golden State.
In the days leading up to Christmas, the law enforcement agency conducted a statewide sting targeting organized retail crime, resulting in the recovery of 767 stolen items, including clothes, shoes and fragrances, valued at roughly $38,290.
Executed on Dec. 20, the operation also led to the seizure of two illegal firearms, as well as the recovery of three stolen vehicles. Charges are expected to range from petty theft and grand theft to organized retail crime, CHP reported.
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Bringing together 10 law enforcement agencies from across California including the Hemet Police Department, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles Police Department, Glendale Police Department, Bakersfield Police Department, Woodland Police Department, Walnut Creek Police Department, Livermore Police Department, and San Ramon Police Department, as well as 56 retailers, the effort amped up store security and augmented crime reporting during the apex of the holiday shopping rush.
Officers targeted high-traffic shopping areas, increasing their presence to deter further crimes.
“Through proactive enforcement operations and strong partnerships with local law enforcement and retailers, we were able to protect the state’s businesses and consumers during one of the busiest times of the year,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. “Our efforts send a clear message that retail theft in California will not be tolerated.”
CHP reported that it increased proactive operations to target organized retail crime, along with public safety initiatives and special operations, by 310 percent last year. Since CHP’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force launched in 2019, it has taken part in more than 3,200 investigations leading to the arrest of more than 3,500 suspects and the recovery of about 1.3 million stolen products valued at $51.3 million.
“The state stands committed to protecting consumers, especially as they go about the final shopping sprint before the holiday season,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said. “I’m proud of the efforts of CHP and local law enforcement to protect consumers and businesses throughout California.”
According to recent research from the National Retail Federation (NRF), retail theft and organized retail crime are on a marked upswing. A 93 percent increase in the average annual number of shoplifting incidents was observed between 2019 and 2023, amounting to a 90 percent increase in dollar loss due to theft. Retailers with the ability to track organized retail crime, which involves two or more suspects working in tandem, saw a 57 percent average increase in incidents from 2022 to 2023.
As the fifth-largest economy in the world, it’s no surprise that California towns and cities have been disproportionately impacted. NRF research shows that Sacramento, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area are among the worst cities for retail crime.