Seal Beach Police Sends Reminder Of Retail Theft Crackdown

SEAL BEACH, CA — Seal Beach Police are reminding the public of it's "zero-tolerance" stance on retail theft following the arrest of a woman suspected of stealing flowers on Mother's Day.

Property crime has been an ongoing issue over the past year in Seal Beach. In 2024, it accounted for 69% of all crime reported. Larceny and theft, meanwhile, made up over half of all reported crimes, a nearly 9% increase from 2023, the SBPD reported in its annual crime statistics.

Following the arrest of a woman suspected of stealing flowers from a Target on Mother's Day, the SBPD said in a statement on social media that although retail theft has increased in California after the COVID-19 pandemic and in some cases, "normalized," they've made a "conscious choice to take a different path."

"The Seal Beach Police Department has proactively and publicly adopted a zero-tolerance stance on retail theft," the department said in its post. "We decided that allowing criminals to steal without consequence wasn’t just bad policy—it was a betrayal of the residents and businesses we swore to protect."

The SBPD added that anyone caught stealing within its jurisdiction won't get a ticket or warning — they'll go straight to jail.

SBPD's crackdown on retail theft aligns with California's recent efforts to deter organized crime, and voters' decision to punish anyone caught stealing more harshly.

In 2024, voters approved Proposition 36, which again made certain drug and theft crimes felonies. In some cases, the shift would increase a defendant's jail sentence from a year in jail to as much as four years in prison.

Governor Gavin Newsom also signed 10 new laws to crack down on property theft in California last year. These laws established stiffer penalties for people convicted of the crime.

SEE ALSO: CA Proposition 36: Increasing Penalties For Drug And Theft Crimes

In its social media post, the SBPD condemned people who defend those accused of property theft, stating that it drains community resources and diminishes the city's sense of security.

The department also emphasized that property theft against big corporations isn't activism but civil disobedience.

"We don’t apologize for protecting businesses. And we certainly don’t apologize for expecting better," the SBPD said on social media. "Seal Beach is not a place where crime gets a pass. And that’s exactly how our community wants it."

Los Angeles Editor Paige Austin contributed to this report.