California will spend $267 million to help dozens of local law enforcement agencies increase patrols, buy surveillance equipment and conduct other activities aimed at cracking down on smash-and-grab robberies happening around the state.
Officials from the California Highway Patrol and San Francisco and Los Angeles law enforcement agencies made the announcement Friday. It follows a string of brazen luxury store robberies in recent months, where dozens of individuals come into a store and begin stealing en masse.
Videos of the incidents have quickly spread online and fueled critics who argue California takes too lax an approach to crime.
The problem isn’t your average, everyday shoplifter who is stealing something because they need it. In this case, the problem is organized retail theft. They’re thieves who may or may not be able to afford to buy what they’re stealing, but they’re not stealing it because they need it. They’re stealing it to resell it online and on the black markets within their communities.
It’s not something to sympathize with. People are losing their jobs because stores shut down because of this sort of behavior.
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What a load of bullshit. These stores targeted for smash and grabs throw away and lose more items during shipping than shoplifting and smash and grabs.
This is like building levees in the desert because it rains there occasionally
Multiple stores in my community have closed due to this, so in fact, it is not a load of bullshit.