Marin Responds To 'Flash Mob' Robbery Surge

MARIN COUNTY, CA — A group that represents Marin law enforcement leaders issued a statement Tuesday in response to a spate of Bay Area “flash mob” robberies.

Novato Police Chief Matthew T. McCaffrey, who serves as president of the Marin County Police Chiefs Association, said local law enforcement agencies “stand committed to the tireless and determined investigations of these crimes, coupled with the relentless prosecution of such felonious activity.”

McCaffrey’s statement follows a chaotic weekend in the Bay Area in which organized theft rings hit multiple locations what officials described as well-planned robberies in San Francisco, Walnut Creek, Hayward and San Jose.

Two employees were assaulted and another was pepper-sprayed Saturday during a flash mob robbery at a Walnut Creek Nordstrom store.

Multiple high-end retailers in San Francisco’s Union Square were robbed Friday.

“Orchestrated retail thefts, as seen throughout the bay creates a formidable challenge for local law enforcement, ultimately costing retailers millions of dollars and impacting costs to consumers,” McCaffrey said.

“Such violent activity creates an extraordinary safety issue in our communities and Marin County Law Enforcement refuses to accept such violent, brazen theft related activity.”