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A cross-county alliance has formed to combat a recent spate of high-profile, organized retail theft that has left law enforcement scrambling for information, according to San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.
As part of the coalition, San Mateo, Contra Costa, Alameda, San Francisco, Marin, San Joaquin, and Santa Clara counties, as well as law enforcement and state agencies, will each designate one person to collaborate in collecting information and prosecuting offenders.
“The recent premeditated retail theft mob action in multiple cities across Northern California is intolerable and will not be accepted by District Attorneys, law enforcement officials and our community members,” said Wagstaffe in a press release. “Anyone caught engaging in such criminal conduct should expect to find themselves facing prosecution, conviction and incarceration. There is no leniency for such behavior.”
The decision comes just a week after dozens of people stormed Louis Vuitton and several other high-end stores at San Francisco's Union Square, in what the SF Gate called a "mass smash-and-grab robbery." The following day, Saturday, Nov. 20, more than 80 people stormed Nordstorm in Walnut Creek, making off with $100,000 worth of goods. On Sunday, a group armed with hammers ransacked Hayward’s Southland Mall, while another robbed a Lululemon in San Jose's Santana Row. Just last week, Palo Alto police officers thwarted 30-40 people who attempted to break into The RealReal store in downtown Palo Alto.
Chief of Police Dan Mulholland confirmed to the Pulse that Redwood City hasn't seen an increase in "smash & grab/group looting crimes" like those in other neighboring cities. In fact, theft-related crimes have decreased about 16% year to date compared to the same time last year.
According to Wagstaffe, the idea for the partnership was formed during a conversation he had with San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin.
"We were speaking about what had happened because, at that point, the big one was the Union Square mob action," he said. "DAs, we're all on the same page about, 'Hey, crimes like that we want to prosecute.' But we said, 'Is there a point to us trying to collaborate on it?' And we thought there was."
Along with Boudin, Wagstaffe organized a meeting of the Bay Area district attorneys where they agreed about a desire to take a more comprehensive strategy in dealing with these recent crimes.
"Of course, we can do a joint statement saying we're going to prosecute this to the fullest extent of the law," he said. "But then that's where it ends because then we just each go about our business. We want to go one step further here."
By building this "communication concept," as Wagstaffe described the alliance, the DAs hope to combine evidence from different counties and more efficiently prosecute serial offenders and prevent future retail theft. According to a press release, the partnership will "allow for the sharing of information through data collection, crime analytics, as well as pooled investigative tools to successfully prosecute those involved with organized retail theft schemes." The DAs will continue working with local retailers and state officials to "ensure statues that cover organized theft rings are enforceable and improve safety for consumers."
“Retail theft crimes are affecting all counties in the Bay Area as well as across the nation. Collaboration and shared strategies with neighboring prosecutors and law enforcement partners are critical to both preventing and responding to organized retail theft,” said San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin in a press release. “This alliance of prosecutors is committed to developing strategies to combat these organized crimes. Together, we are determined to stop those who participate in organized retail theft, including by dismantling the fencing networks that make this type of crime profitable.”
Adding that this partnership isn't simply a "90-day project," Wagstaffe said he was "appalled" by recent criminal activity and emphasized that officials will continue working together for as long as necessary.
"What you and I saw on TV from Union Square and Walnut Creek…it's just one step below that horror we saw last January 6," he said. "This is anarchy going on in the shopping stores where our citizens go."
According to Cristine DeBerry, Executive Director of the Prosecutors Alliance of California, “Partnerships like these reflect the need to implement modern solutions to modern problems." She added: "Through information sharing and coordination, there will be a greater likelihood of arrests and accountability than everyone working in isolation.”
