SEATTLE (NewsNation Now) — The police chief of Seattle says his city is seeing an increase in all types of retail thefts, an issue NewsNation is digging into ahead of the holidays.
“Anything from burglaries to thefts, larcenies, as well as motor vehicle thefts,” Chief Adrian Diaz said on “Rush.”
The National Retail Federation ranked Seattle among the top 10 cities for retail theft this year.
“We’ve actually seen more organized retail theft” than in previous years, Diaz said. “Where people are going and grabbing large sums of property, anything from clothing attire, electronics. Then, they are trafficking them on the streets, selling them at the corners or selling them to other businesses.”
Diaz said to combat this, the department is focusing on putting officers in the right place, both in shopping districts and near homes to deter porch pirates.
Location and communication are even more important now that Seattle police, like many other departments across the country, are dealing with a staffing shortage.
“We’re using good contacts with all of our security companies, and making sure that we’re in constant communication,” Diaz said. The department is also helping to ensure “that all the businesses have good working cameras, that their security staff know exactly how to address these issues, or, when they call, what we’re looking for on the investigation side. So we all have to figure out ways to work together.”
Diaz also says combating retail theft goes beyond just his department. He said thieves need to face consequences when they’re caught.
“When we do find people that are doing smash and grabs, or doing organized retail theft, that when we do arrest them, that they’re held accountable for their actions,” Diaz said.
