13 Arrested In Bay Area Shoplifting Sting: Police

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Thirteen people were taken into custody during a sting targeting shoplifters in the Bay Area on Thursday, police said.

A team made up of several agencies, including the San Francisco Police Department, sheriff's deputies, and California Highway Patrol officers, conducted the "Organized Retail Theft Prevention" at the Stonestown Galleria and West Portal commercial corridor.

Police say the 13 suspects were trying to shoplift from stores when they were arrested. It's unclear what charges the suspects are facing.

The sting was funded by a $15.3 million state grant that the SFPD received in 2023 to combat shoplifting, authorities said.

The SFPD said officers have made dozens of arrests in the past few months related to organized retail theft. In neighborhoods such as South of Market and Mission District, hundreds of shoplifters have been arrested this year alone, police said.