Editor’s note: This story was updated to reflect that the funds are being used by Los Angeles County. The money came from the state government.
County officials approved a $15.6 million grant to combat the rising number of smash-and-grab thefts targeting Los Angeles County retailers.
The funds were approved unanimously by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.
Funding will be given to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department’s recently created Organized Retail Theft Task Force.
The task force will be comprised of one lieutenant, three sergeants and thirty detectives focused on preventing and tackling organized retail theft including smash-and-grabs, catalytic converter thefts, and cargo thefts.
The task force will also collaborate with other law enforcement agencies, the District Attorney’s Office and local businesses, officials said.
A recent study from the National Retail Federation found that organized retail crime has increased in the U.S. by 26% since 2000.
A group of flash mob robbers raiding a Nordstrom at the Westfield Topanga mall on Aug. 12, 2023 and video of a group of thieves ransacking a Nordstrom Rack in Riverside on July 10, 2023. (TNLA, Riverside Police Department) 
Video shows the thieves rushing through the main floor of the Topanga Mall Nordstrom grabbing tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of items, and then running out the door. Aug. 12, 2023. (TNLA) 
A group of thieves who were caught on camera robbing a Nike store in East Los Angeles were arrested on August 17, 2023. (California Highway Patrol, Citizen) 
Things took a turn when the employees “engaged the suspect” according to El Monte police, and a struggle ensued. (Instagram/@SGV) 
Nearly $200,000 worth of stolen merchandise from Victoria’s Secret and CVS stores were recovered while suspects tried to sell the items in downtown L.A. (Los Angeles Police Department) 
Nearly $200,000 worth of stolen merchandise from Victoria’s Secret and CVS stores were recovered while suspects tried to sell the items in downtown L.A. (Los Angeles Police Department) 
A group of thieves who were caught on camera robbing a Nike store in East Los Angeles were arrested on August 17, 2023. (California Highway Patrol) 
Security cameras captured burglars ransacking a Beverly Hills wig shop and escaping with almost $200,000 worth of wigs meant for cancer patients. (The Wig Fairy) 
Thieves seen smashing display cases at Jewelers On Time in Newport Beach, and making off with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of watches on Sept. 8, 2023. (KTLA) 
Security video captured a mob of thieves ransacking a Nordstrom Rack in Riverside and escaping with thousands of dollars worth of designer handbags. (Riverside Police Department) 
Smash-and-grab suspects seen fleeing at the Northridge Mall after stealing bag loads of items from Macy’s on Sept. 10, 2023. (RMG News) 
The thieves crashed through the front of the jewelry store with a car and began smashing display cases. July 1, 2023. (La Verne Police) 
Security video captured two suspects walking into a store, assaulting employees and stealing merchandise in San Bernardino. (San Bernardino Police Department) 
Video captured a mob of thieves swarming a Nordstrom in Canoga Park as they cleared out the store during a destructive robbery on August 12, 2023. (TNLA) 
A group of flash mob robbers raiding a Nordstrom at the Westfield Topanga mall on Aug. 12, 2023 and video of a group of thieves ransacking a Nordstrom Rack in Riverside on July 10, 2023. (TNLA, Riverside Police Department) 
At least five suspects caught on surveillance cameras breaking into Yonder Coffee, one of two businesses burglarized on Sept. 13, 2023. 
A group of smash-and-grab robbers ransacked a Pasadena store and escaped with over half a million dollars worth of jewelry on August 29, 2023. (KTLA)
“Unfortunately, this trend holds true in Los Angeles County,” county officials said. “At the same time, [retailers] have been faced with an increase in organized retail theft, including smash-and-grab robberies that have recently become more brazen and violent.”
“These brazen organized retail theft sprees are hurting business communities across the county and retail companies are losing billions of dollars annually,” said L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna.
County leaders said the new grant will help root out the criminal organizations behind the brazen thefts while working to prevent and reduce these types of crimes.
“Our Retail Theft Task Force through our Major Crimes Bureau is focused on reducing these crimes by targeting these crews and aggressively pursuing not just those who commit the theft, but everyone in the criminal chain,” Luna said. “This Organized Retail Theft Grant will allow us to continue to investigate retail theft crimes and provide dedicated staff and equipment necessary to continue to combat these thefts.”
Earlier this month, state officials announced they would be sending over $267 million to 55 cities and counties to specifically crack down on arrests and prosecutions for organized retail crime.
“The shameless smash and grabs need to be stopped,” said L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn. “These are not petty thefts — these are organized violent operations that rob businesses of thousands upon thousands of dollars in merchandise, physically damage stores, and traumatize retail workers.”
