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Bellevue Police ramp up retail theft prevention ahead of holidays
The rising trend of retail theft has local stores worried about the coming holiday season, which has prompted Bellevue Police to launch a new initiative to crack down on these crimes.
BELLEVUE, Wash. - Retail theft is rampant across the region with thieves getting away with hundreds, even thousands of dollars' worth of merchandise.
With holiday shopping ramping up, local retailers are worried their store could be next. That has Bellevue Police launching a new initiative to crack down on these crimes.
FOX 13 News has covered dozens of stories of thieves stealing from stores, then running.
"It’s just crazy how it happens," said Valerie O'Farrell, who witnessed a theft. "I’ve been at a Target when somebody was trying to steal something, and they got caught."
O’Farrell is one of several neighbors at Bellevue Police Department’s Coffee with a Cop event, discussing all things happening in the city, including the increase in retail theft crimes.
"We want to be able to answer any questions that they might have in terms of retail theft or what the crime looks like, and we can talk to them about crime prevention strategies," said Alycia McKinney with Bellevue Police.
Police say oftentimes, thieves use these five-finger discounts to resell the items for money, drugs, or both. But McKinney says Bellevue has started a new initiative to crack down on these cases, including emphasis patrols inside the stores.
"We have undercover officers that will be working with the retailers, their managers, or loss prevention on certain days, high peak hours that the theft occurs to combat that retail theft," explained McKinney.
Police will also increase visibility outside of stores, especially as the holiday shopping season ramps up.
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"The biggest thing we can do is have the retailers report to us," said McKinney.
McKinney says 57% of reported retail theft ends in an arrest—a 29% increase from last year. Authorities believe more stores are targeted out there that aren’t reporting the crimes. They’re encouraging all retailers not to delay and call 911 with detailed descriptions to catch the thieves before they strike again.
"We want this to be a collaborative effort, and really have a united front on the zero-tolerance for retail theft," said McKinney.
Part of the retail theft prevention initiative is speaking with store managers and loss prevention staff. On Thursday, police and retailers will meet to talk about the challenges they're having and what they need to keep employees and merchandise safe.