CHP: Retail theft crackdown nets nearly 500 arrests in 1st three months of 2024
SACRAMENTO – Nearly 500 people have been arrested and more than $4 million in stolen goods have been seized so far this year as part of an ongoing crackdown on retail theft, the California Highway Patrol announced.
In a statement Wednesday, the agency released data from its Organized Retail Theft Task Force on the first three months of 2024. In 185 investigations, the task force has arrested 474 suspects and have recovered 160,000 stolen items, valued at nearly $4.2 million.
"These criminals have a negative impact on California's businesses and our communities," Deputy Commissioner Troy Lukkes said. "We will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners throughout the state and use every available resource to dismantle these criminal networks and hold them accountable for their actions."
The CHP said the number of goods seized in the first quarter of the year was nearly half of all the stolen goods the task force recovered in 2023.
A statement from Gov. Gavin Newsom's office noted that the crackdown is set to outpace previous years.
"California will continue to lead more takedowns and make more arrests to keep our communities safe," Newsom said. "It is through the coordinated efforts of our enforcement partners – police, sheriffs, and district attorneys – that the state can keep shutting the door on this unacceptable crime."
According to the CHP, investigations by the task force have led to the arrests of more than 2,500 suspects and the recovery of $42.3 million in stolen goods since its inception in 2019.