In an 8-day blitz, Police partnered with local retailers in Sarasota, Florida, a medium-sized city in Tampa Bay, to root out and arrest 59 shoplifters.
The focus was on “boosters,” or those who are part of an organized crime ring that target retail stores and then sell off the stolen goods to pawn shops. Those arrested were not new to the crime world.
The Herald-Tribune reports that the 59 suspects had a total of more than 400 previous felony charges. The 59 arrests that happen most recently led to 41 felony and 58 misdemeanor charges brought against the suspects.
Sarasota Sheriff Tom Knight said at a news conference on Thursday that in Sarasota alone, this kind of boosting is a multi-million dollar industry.
Police were aided by security guards from 6 major retailers, who alerted them when a theft was occurring. Police deputies sought out suspects in the stores’ parking lots and recovered all of the stolen property.
Security guards are an integral part of Knight’s “intelligence-led policing program,” which uses insider knowledge to target the heaviest crime areas. At Curtis Protective Services, we are honored to have expanded to Sarasota and the Tampa Bay area. After all, Curtis safety and security guards are present to not only report crimes but deter them before they happen.
