Organized Retail Theft

Crime News Insider

A Best Buy in Minneapolis, a Louis Vuitton store in Chicago, and a Nordstrom in Walnut Creek, CA were all struck recently by organized retail theft. But even before these high-profile thefts in the news, some cities have been plagued by constant theft. Wal-Greens in San Francisco had to close 5 stores due to rampant and brazen shoplifting. A Safeway in SF’s Castro neighborhood previously was open 24 hours a day, but will now operate from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m due to the relentless shoplifting.

In San Diego, it’s been a problem as well. A couple years ago, a 7-Eleven reported constant shoplifting, noting that the thieves would come in and steal something every day. Even before the pandemic, in California we’ve seen an uptick in theft after the passage of Prop 47, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.

Bio: Anna Winn was hired as a Deputy District Attorney in the previous century. She prosecuted various types of crimes for years until she found THE coolest people to work with. Of course that means bank investigators, financial crimes detectives, and anyone who knows that “ORCA” is not a whale. For the past 10 years, Anna has been assigned to the San Diego Regional Fraud Task Force, prosecuting cases from both local and federal law enforcement officers. Anna’s caseload includes defendants committing identity theft, manufacturing counterfeit money, and embezzling more than $100,000. To spice up her caseload, Anna also prosecutes rings of thieves who (wrongly) think they can take whatever they want from retail stores without penalty.

Laws on the Books: Each week we end the episode on a light note and look at the laws on the books and do a quiz. 3 are real, 1 is fake; can you guess which one is the fake?

A. In Florida, it’s illegal to steal the manure from a commercially registered animal of the bovine class.

B. In Delaware, it’s illegal for a pawnbroker to take or receive as a pledge any artificial limb.

C. In New Jersey, felony theft is set at $200 or greater, which is the lowest threshold for felony theft in the United States.

D. In Colville, Washington, the mayor is authorized to issue one reward in the amount of $150 to anyone who furnishes information that leads to the identification and conviction of person who has stolen municipal property.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney.

Questions and comments can be emailed to [e-mail].

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