San Francisco police make several arrests in blitz operation against retail theft
SAN FRANCISCO — Several people have been arrested since San Francisco police launched blitz operations against retail theft in the city, authorities said Friday.
According to the San Francisco Police Department, the operations have recorded dozens of arrests in recent days and recovered thousands of dollars in stolen merchandise from the city's most victimized retailers.
"Our city will not tolerate criminals ransacking our businesses," San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said in a statement. "Not only are these crimes devastating to our business community and local economy, too often we've seen these crimes escalate into violence. I want to thank our hard-working officers who are making sure our city is a safe place for businesses and shoppers."
Police said their most recent blitz operation occurred Tuesday evening at San Francisco Centre, along with officers from the California Highway Patrol's Organized Retail Crime Task Force. Nine people allegedly stealing from businesses inside the shopping mall were arrested and authorities recovered stolen merchandise.
On Sept. 22, officers recovered an estimated $100,000 in stolen merchandise after arresting three prolific Bay Area thieves, police said.
According to San Francisco police, officers have launched similar operations at businesses like drug stores, grocery stores and apparel stores around the city.
Larceny cases in the city have dropped 10 percent citywide since last year, according to police.
