LOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities in Los Angeles on Thursday announced more than a dozen arrests in recent smash-and-grab thefts at stores where nearly $340,000 worth of merchandise was stolen, part of a rash of organized retail crime in California.
Fourteen people were arrested in connection with 11 brazen robberies between Nov. 18 and 28, and all are out of custody, police Chief Michel Moore said. Most bailed out or met no-bail criteria, and one is a juvenile, he said.
At a joint news conference, both Moore and Mayor Eric Garcetti called for an end to a no-bail policy for some defendants aimed at reducing overcrowding at Los Angeles County jails during the coronavirus pandemic.
Garcetti said with the pandemic easing, it’s time to make room again in lockups for criminals who commit violent acts and put store employees in danger.
“We need the help of our criminal justice system, of our judges, of our jailers,” Garcetti said. “We have opened up a lot of the city because we’re in a better place with COVID. We should be able to also open up our jails, and we should be able to have judges that put people behind those bars.”
A statewide policy of imposing $0 bail for misdemeanors and lower-level felonies ended last year, but it was kept in place within the LA County Superior Court system.
Moore said at least $338,000 in goods were stolen over ten days from stores and malls across the city that incurred $40,000 in property damage. Investigators are searching for multiple outstanding suspects, he said.
The incidents were part of a recent run of large-scale thefts in California and across the nation in which groups of individuals shoplift en masse from stores or smash and grab from display cases. Single operators have also been a growing problems for retailers who say the thieves face little consequence.
The chief said he was confident that police investigating the retail robberies had the support of Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón, who ran on a reform agenda and supports ending bail across the board for misdemeanor, non-violent and non-serious felony offenses.
Gascón’s office said in a statement Thursday that those who commit smash-and-grab thefts will be held accountable.
“Our office has been collaborating with multiple law enforcement agencies and once all the evidence has been gathered, we will review the cases to determine what criminal charges should be filed,” Alex Bastian, special advisor to Gascón, said in the statement. “These brazen acts hurt all of us: retailers, employees and customers alike.”
San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin last week announced felony charges against nine people for a series of thefts, and Bay Area prosecutors announced a joint effort to combat organized retail theft.
In the Bay Area, the City Council in Walnut Creek this week approved an additional $2 million for policing after nearly 100 thieves wearing ski masks carried out a smash-and-grab mob robbery at a Nordstrom store in November. An estimated $125,000 in merchandise was stolen.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who has boasted of his criminal justice reform efforts, promised on Wednesday that the proposed budget he sends to state lawmakers next month will “significantly increase our efforts to go after these retail rings.”
Garcetti sought to calm the nerves of Angelenos hoping to shop at stores and malls for the holiday season, saying that the relatively small number of crimes is “no cause for alarm.”
“We’re acting fast to stop this in its tracks,” he said.
Associated Press reporter Don Thompson contributed from Sacramento, Calif.
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Based on their own self-declared minimum wage of $15/hour, anyone stealing $1000.00 worth of personal property is in essence stealing about 66.66 hours of human life force needed/used to earn that property and should serve at least that many (8) days in jail,,,plus fines and return of the property. Heads of crime families like the Bidens who steal millions/billions/trillions should get life,,,and also return the money. When you steal from another you steal the life force he expended to earn that item and are killing that person, company, nation,, some by inches, others by miles, others by eternity. Let the law enforcement begin. Let the police and the courts earn their wages,,,and stop the courts from stealing those wages when they refuse to do their duty to enforce the law and become part of the problem, not the solution. Social workers used to think jail was suppose to be some kind of reindoctrination, hman reclamation project instead of punichment to balance the scales of justice for their crimes. Democrats have now even abandoned the relcamation part degenerating our society to one of outright anarchy,, so just why do we need THEM at all.
Ah, the lawlessness of the communist Democrat party, put on display on the streets of communist California and the “useful idiots” who vote into office premium garbage.
They made their bed, now LIE IN IT!
Mayor Eric Garcetti sought to calm the nerves of Angelenos hoping to shop at stores and malls for the holiday season, saying that the relatively small number of crimes is “no cause for alarm.” Huh?? one man was killed with a hammer during one of these “no cause for alarm.” smash and grab groups.
Fourteen people were arrested in connection with 11 brazen robberies between Nov. 18 and 28, and all are out of custody,
— Authorities in Los Angeles on Thursday announced more than a dozen arrests in recent smash-and-grab thefts at stores where nearly $340,000 worth of merchandise was stolen, part of a rash of organized retail crime in California.
Engaging in Organized Crime is a jail felony charge.
ITs almost gotten to the point, they may as well GET RID OF THE COPS out there.. BECAUSE WHY BOTHER wasting time, manpower and money, arresting these folks, WHEN they keep getting released WITHOUT CHARGES!
You won’t deter that kind of behavior that way. I am astonished at the free reign being given criminals across the country. I mean, I understand that Liberals feed off of chaos. Law-abiding citizens face mounting insecurity, fear, and retaliation for defending themselves should they have to.
This was not just shop lifting or simple looting, it WAS MOB ACTION while masked. Which is a felony and shootable offense in most states that is still in the laws. These mobs are armed with crowbars and sledge hammers and some I sure with handguns.
Has our country diminished to the level that the only way to stop these actions by mobs is the shooting down of these offenders?
As I, along with others, have stated, shoplifting is slipping a package of lunch meat in your purse or pocket and walking out of the store w/o paying. This is NOT shoplifting!
ITS pillaging.
So given all that’s going on with California, is it really worth living there? Another thing, if you move out of California because, “it’s no place to raise a family “, don’t bring California with you! California is the way it is because of elitist views and criminals running the show. If you want change, then change yourself first!
AND it also keeps making me scratch my head, FIGURING OUT, HOW AND WY are home prices out there, SO DAMN PRICY!
You have that right. We need California democrats here like we need an influx of Ebola.
We DON’T need to lockup JUST violent criminals! We should be locking up ALL criminals (until tried and [possibly] convicted). PUBLIC SAFETY should be the TOP priority of our criminal Justice system, NOT coddling criminals!
Ahhh, isn’t it nice that the leftist, baby killing Democrats and their loyal voters, love calling these mob crazed robberies, ‘smash and grabs’! I believe California is still in a lockdown. Therefore, it’s LOOTING, but they just don’t want to offend anyone. You loser, California voters, wanted this, you got it!! We do not want you nor welcome you here in Texas. Stay and wallow in your filth.
THEY Only care about not offending the CROOKS.. NOT we the tax payers.
Personally, I don’t really give a rat’s behind if those stupid Demorat voters out there have to eventually go all the way to Texas, to shop and buy food, because their own retail was parasitized to oblivion. Not that there is any hope they will cease their PC-ed stupidity from that condition, but it would be fun to witness the parasites of California, try that in Texas. Snark, snark.