Virginia County Police are reporting some success against luxury theft rings

It took seven people, 15 seconds and a fire extinguisher. With that, a crew of seven from Pennsylvania won more than $60,000 worth of luxury goods from the Chanel store at the upscale Tysons Galleria mall in northern Virginia in June.

With organized retail theft a problem receiving increased national attention, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis knows his wealthy northern Virginia jurisdiction is a target.

“I think it makes us very vulnerable. It is no news to anyone that Fairfax County has a world-class retail community,” Davis said. “This is one of the reasons why our commitment to safety is so strong.”

On Thursday, Davis highlighted recent successes the county has had in combating these thefts. At a press conference, he announced the arrest of the alleged getaway driver in the Chanel heist, as well as warrants for the arrest of two others. He also posted videos and screenshots of four other theft suspects, which he hopes will lead to more arrests.

Video of the robbery shows one of the suspects spraying a fire extinguisher at a security guard as he entered the store. Charges against the suspects include assault with a caustic substance for discharging the fire extinguisher.

Police also announced arrests related to a separate crew that targeted high-end retail stores in seven different states on both coasts. Deputy Police Chief Gregory Fried said members of that crew are responsible for at least $170,000 in losses in the seven states, including $35,000 in Fairfax County.

The issue of organized retail theft has received increased attention nationally. More than two dozen states have recently passed laws to combat the problem. Hard data on the issue is not easy to come by – last year, the National Retail Foundation retracted a claim in a report it issued that organized retail crime accounted for about half of lost stock.

In Fairfax County, Davis said reported thefts doubled from 2021 to 2023, from about 4,000 to more than 8,000.

But he said arrests have nearly tripled. As a result, he said arrests were made in 70 percent of thefts in 2023, compared to 52 percent in 2021.

He also stressed the importance of retailers doing everything they can to gather evidence, especially video evidence, that helps police make arrests. He said some retailers are equipping employees with body-worn cameras similar to those worn by police.

While he said his agency makes shoplifting arrests a priority, he said the court system needs to take the issue just as seriously. He expressed his frustration with the low bail amounts for suspects arrested for theft.

“It’s not little Johnny robbing a 3 Musketeers bar,” he said.

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

TOPICS
Fraud Virginia Police