BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) – Retail theft is on the rise all around the state as the eve of the holiday shopping surge approaches, shoppers are worried and confused.
Employees at the Olive Plaza shopping center in Northwest Bakersfield, say the crimes happen so often that they already know these thieves by their first names. They think a lackluster response from law enforcement mixed with strict store policies might be the reason why thieves continue to run rampant.
It’s happening from North California to Southern California. In San Francisco, a large crowd stormed several retail stores and took off with handfuls of merchandise.
In Los Angeles, brazen burglars vandalized a store at The Grove, eventually leading to an arrest by LAPD hours later. But the fear and terror these retail thieves bring with them is a cause for concern for shoppers.
“It’s a done deal,” said Laura McClure, a shopper at the Olive Plaza. “I’ve been at stores where they went out the front exit while I was shopping, I go the opposite direction when I see it happen.”
It’s a crime that targets anyone, even Governor Gavin Newsom has condemned the crime after thieves broke into his business, PlumpJack Wine & Spirits in San Francisco, three times this year.
“I have no sympathy,” said Gov. Newsom. “No empathy, whatsoever for people smashing and stealing people’s items.”
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