Investigators near Los Angeles arrested 10 people after finding more than $218,000 of stolen merchandise in a backyard, an area believed to be a dumping ground for goods repackaged and sold on the internet or at swap meets for profit.
The takedown was the second in a matter of days by the California Highway Patrol and comes after Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) told the CHP to help Los Angeles and San Francisco law enforcement tackle a spike in organized retail crime.
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Law enforcement officers seized 8,844 items worth an estimated $218,379.69. The stolen merchandise came from Victoria's Secret, CVS, Ralphs, Rite Aid, Amazon, and Walgreens. Investigators also found $44,836 in cash, the CHP spokesperson told the Washington Examiner on Thursday. Seven men and three women were among those arrested, all of whom were from Compton, which is about 17 miles from Los Angeles.
California will spend a staggering $267 million to help dozens of local law enforcement agencies increase patrols as well as buy updated surveillance equipment to crack down on a string of shocking robberies that have taken place across the state.
"Enough with these brazen smash-and-grabs," Newsom said in a statement. "We're ensuring law enforcement agencies have the resources they need to take down these criminals."
The money for the grants will come from funding Newsom requested in late 2021 after he signed a law to reestablish a statewide task force dedicated to rooting out and prosecuting organized theft rings operating in the state. The money will go to 55 agencies, including local police departments, sheriff's offices, and district attorneys.
"Law enforcement is all about partnership, and the CHP is proud to be a good partner to Los Angeles," CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said following Newsom's announcement. "Working together, and by utilizing the CHP's wide breadth of expertise and resources, we will crack down on this uptick in dangerous and unacceptable criminal activity."
CHP has been in charge of the statewide Organized Retail Crime Task Force since 2019 and has recovered $30.7 million in stolen merchandise. CHP has also conducted more than 1,850 investigations into retail crime and has arrested more than 1,250 people.
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California isn't the only place where retail theft is on the rise. Retail theft has become a nationwide epidemic that cost businesses operating in the United States close to $100 billion in 2021. Stores have been forced to raise prices or in some cases permanently close their doors.
Big-box retailers like Target, Walmart, and Home Depot have all blamed theft and retail shrink for their latest dismal earnings reports.