BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — (KBAK/FOX58) California’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force made more than 700 arrests and recovering near 230,000 stolen goods valued at $6.8 million dollars since the start of 2024.
What’s being stolen? It’s not just one particular product or item. CHP Officer D.C. Williams says its anything criminals can get their hands on.
“It ranges from hygiene to high dollar clothing, purses, makeup,” Williams said. “It is just whatever people are in the mood to go in and grab.”
However, many believe ongoing crime may overshadow some of the numbers that have come out of the task force. So, as the Task Force evolves to hold more criminals to account will it ever stomp out organized retail theft?
“We would love to stomp it out. That would be awesome to see the task force and the impact we are making to see theft just be gone,” Williams said. “Unfortunately, I do not think that is the case. Hopefully, we can continue to do these operations and continue to apprehend these guys and let them know, ‘hey we are out here we are looking’ and that way those guys are looking over their shoulders and eventually they are going to get caught one way or another.”
To learn more about the Task Force, click here.
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