Brazen 'Mass-Mob' NorCal Burglaries Trigger Increased Patrols

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Over the span of a week, large groups of thieves have assailed retailers across the Bay Area, snatching thousands of dollars in merchandise and accosting workers ahead of the busiest shopping season of the year.

Authorities believed that sophisticated criminal networks could be to blame for the recent smash-and-grab string of crimes, which have left shoppers and retail employees afraid to return to the locations.

High-end stores throughout the Bay Area were targeted by groups of thieves wielding crowbars last week, and the trend has been observed across the state. The latest incident was reported at a Nordstrom store at The Grove in Los Angeles.

"We’re not talking about someone who needs money or needs food. These are people who go out and do this is for high profit and for the thrill," said Ben Dugan, president of the Coalition of Law Enforcement and Retail.

The crime surge prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to increase law enforcement and California Highway Patrol presence in and around highly trafficked areas coming into the holiday season and Black Friday in shopping malls.

"We are going to be more aggressive still in this space to help support cities and the prosecution of folks," Newsom said. "I have no sympathy, no empathy whatsoever for people smashing and grabbing, stealing people's items, creating havoc and terror on our streets. ... They must be held to account."

The order came after robberies in San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles and Walnut Creek over the weekend.

"The level of organized retail theft we are seeing is simply unacceptable," Newsom said. "Businesses and customers should feel safe while doing their holiday shopping."

The avalanche of robberies also spurred action by Bay Area district attorneys.

"The recent acts of retail thefts, robberies and mass-mob burglaries throughout Northern California will not be tolerated," Nancy E. O'Malley, Alameda County district attorney, said in a statement. "These are clearly carefully orchestrated crimes, working together in large groups to create a mob-like mentality. They are instilling fear in merchants, customers and the wider community."

District attorney's offices in Contra Costa, Marin, Santa Clara, San Francisco, San Joaquin and San Mateo counties planned to work together to share data, crime analytics and investigative resources to prosecute people believed to be linked to organized retail theft schemes, they announced Tuesday.

In Walnut Creek, about 80 masked thieves stole an estimated $200,000 worth of merchandise from a Nordstrom store that was previously robbed last summer. Employees were assaulted and pepper-sprayed, police said.

San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin also announced that felony charges had been filed against nine people for a marathon of Friday night thefts involving a Louis Vuitton store, a cannabis dispensary and a Walgreens.

So-called flash mobs were typically organized by local people who recruited crews and sent them to steal specific merchandise requested by criminal organizations throughout the nation, Dugan said.

Those who participated in such robberies may get paid between $500 and $1,000 to take as much as they can and bring it back to organizers, who ship it to other parts of the country, according to Dugan.

"Crew bosses organize them. They’ll give him the crowbars, and in some cases even rent them cars or provide them with escape routes or a list of products to actually go out and steal. It looks very chaotic, but it’s actually very well organized," Dugan said.

In some cases, thieves may be copycats rather than people working with organized networks, according to David Levenberg, a mall and retail security expert.

SEE ALSO: Mob Smash-And-Grab Robberies Prompt Political Backlash In LA

He suggested that groups may be saying, "'Did you see what happened in San Francisco? Let’s go to The Grove and do it.'"

Workplace security expert Hector Alvarez told The Associated Press that retailers should keep in mind how to manage their customers while a smash-and-grab theft is underway. Stores have an obligation to keep their shoppers safe during such events, he said, as they would if a fire occurred.

He advised that customers not intervene or confront the thieves. Instead, bystanders should focus on being a good witness for law enforcement.

Such brazen crimes are still relatively rare, Alvarez said. But, he added, "It’s now become hazardous in some instances to go shopping."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

READ MORE:

• CA Beefs Up Highway Patrol Around Stores And Malls After Brazen Thefts
  
• Brazen Retail Robberies Have Shoppers Fearful Of Shopping In San Francisco's Union Square
  
• Embattled District Attorney Chesa Boudin: 'We Want Everyone To Feel Safe' In San Francisco
  
• San Francisco Prosecutor Takes Aim At Organized Retail Thefts
  
• Dozens Of Looters Target Nordstrom In Walnut Creek
  
• 5 Walnut Creek Nordstrom Workers Injured In Weekend Looting
  
• Cars Banned On Broadway Plaza In Walnut Creek Through Holidays
  
• 3 Arrested In Mob Theft At Nordstrom's Charged With Felonies
• Organized Retail Thefts At 2 Alameda Businesses: Police
  
• Mob Smash-And-Grab Robberies Prompt Political Backlash In LA