LA County cases retail theft in spotlight amid statewide crackdown
California’s effort to crack down on organized retail theft has led to more than 29,000 arrests statewide over the past two years, with Los Angeles-area investigations playing a major role in recovering millions of dollars in stolen goods, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday.
From October 2023 through September 2025, law-enforcement agencies made 29,060 arrests tied to organized retail crime and referred nearly 22,900 cases for prosecution, according to state officials.
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Authorities said more than $226 million in stolen merchandise has been recovered during that period.
“We are sending a clear message: organized retail crime has no place in our communities,” Newsom said in a statement. “Through strong partnerships with local law enforcement, we are disrupting criminal enterprises, protecting small businesses, and making sure those responsible face consequences for their actions.”
State officials said several major cases unfolded in Los Angeles County, where sheriff’s deputies arrested suspects linked to cargo theft rings, including a $340,000 Kohl’s warehouse theft, a Compton-area heist involving dozens of pallets of energy drinks and shoes valued at about $550,000, and the recovery of stolen computers worth about $1.4 million.
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The Los Angeles Police Department’s cargo theft unit also partnered with rail and port police to execute a search warrant that led to the recovery of roughly $4.5 million in stolen cargo and rail goods, officials said.
In 2023, as part of California’s Public Safety Plan, the governor announced the largest investment in state history to combat organized retail crime. Through the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC), organized retail theft grants provided more than $242 million to 38 law enforcement agencies to purchase equipment, expand enforcement operations, hire personnel and strengthen partnerships with retailers, officials said.
“The … grants are providing local law enforcement the tools necessary to strategically dismantle retail crime networks,” BSCC Board Chair Linda Penner said. “With thousands of arrests and millions of dollars in recovered goods, we are successfully building a more secure environment for California’s businesses and residents alike.”
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Officials said the Garden Grove Police Department reported a 38% decline in auto thefts since implementing programs funded by the grant.
Irvine police said detectives used grant funding to identify and arrest suspects linked to thefts at an Irvine Ulta store and additional cases in Lake Forest and Mission Viejo totaling about $10,000.
Officials said the programs are expected to continue supporting law-enforcement efforts to reduce retail crime and improve public safety statewide.