SJPD Boosts Retail Theft Patrols During The Holidays

SAN JOSE, CA — The San Jose Police Department will deploy officers to work overtime to staff targeted retail theft patrols at local shopping centers and malls, officials announced Thursday.

Police said one sergeant and three officers will conduct "high visibility patrols" for six hours in the evening, four days per week. According to the department, the schedule and locations for the added patrols will evolve based on crime trends, holiday shopping patterns and other needs.

Citing internal crime statistics, police said there was a roughly 25 percent increase in retail theft cases reported in San Jose between 2021 and 2022.

"Organized retail theft crime takes many forms and can involve of variety of crimes including shoplifting, commercial burglary, vehicle burglary, fraud, and fencing of stolen items," the department wrote Thursday. "Coupled with SJPD's ongoing efforts to finalize the installing of ALPR cameras to combat organized retail theft, these extra patrols will be working with the ORT Detail, which has tasked four investigators to solely conduct follow up investigations on organized retail theft and track these types of incidents in the city."

Funding for the patrols comes from a grant awarded by the Board of State and Community Corrections.