HEMET – California law enforcement agencies coordinated an unprecedented retail crime collaborative effort resulting in 137 arrests, which included felony and misdemeanor theft charges, and the recovery of more than $60,000 of stolen merchandise and three stolen vehicles. The operation conducted on Nov. 3, 2023, was coordinated by the California Highway Patrol’s Border Division Organized Retail Theft Task Force (ORCTF) in conjunction with the San Diego Organized Retail Crime Association (SDORCA). The CHP’s ORCTF teams assigned to Border, Southern, Central, Golden Gate, and Valley Divisions partnered with law enforcement agencies within those divisions and retail representatives from all over California.
CHP investigators assigned to Border Division ORCTF partnered with the Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, Seal Beach, Irvine, Chino, Hemet, and San Diego police departments, to work operations within Orange, San Diego, and Riverside counties. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, and the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department also conducted operations. In total 41 arrests were made and $28,922.08 of recovered stolen property along with one stolen vehicle. CHP investigators assigned to Southern Division ORCTF, as well as teams from the Los Angeles Sheriff Department, Los Angeles Police Department, Santa Monica Police Department, and Glendale Police made 31 arrests and recovered $5,600 of stolen property throughout Los Angeles County. CHP investigators assigned to Central Division ORCTF partnered with the Bakersfield Police Department made 40 arrests and the recovered nearly $19,000 in stolen property along with two stolen vehicles. CHP investigators assigned to Golden Gate Division ORCTF partnered with officers from the Milpitas and Concord police departments made 20 arrests and the recovery of nearly $6,000 in stolen property. CHP investigators assigned to Valley Division ORCTF recovered $850 of stolen property.
The success of this statewide operation is greatly attributed to the strong partnership and collaboration among Hemet PD, CHP, allied agencies, and retailers.