A statewide law enforcement crackdown on organized retail theft netted 137 arrests and resulted in the recovery of three stolen cars and more than $60,000 in stolen merchandise.
The large-scale operation was carried out on Nov. 3 and was coordinated by the California Highway Patrol’s Organized Retail Theft Task Force.
The operation comprised of dozens of law enforcement partners across the state, divided into groups in the Southern California, Bay Area, Inland Empire and Central Valley regions.
The massive law enforcement sting was carried out at dozens of locations across the state.
Among the arrests, 41 were made by a joint operation in the Inland Empire, Orange County and San Diego region. That campaign also resulted in the recovery of one stolen vehicle and more than $28,000 in stolen property, authorities said.
Another operation taking place in Los Angeles County resulted in 31 arrests and more than $5,600 in stolen property.
The CHP task force was established in 2019, and California Governor Gavin Newsom’s Office says it has arrested more than 1,250 people and recovered more than $30 million in stolen merchandise since its creation.
In August, Gov. Newsom announced the state would be tripling CHP resources in the Los Angeles area to help combat organized retail theft.
Law enforcement agencies in Los Angeles County and San Diego have also set up their own retail crime task forces, which have been working in conjunction with the CHP.