San Ramon Police Receive $5.6 Million Grant To Combat Retail Theft

SAN RAMON, CA —The San Ramon Police Department secured more than $5.6 million in grants to combat organized retail theft, Chief Denton Carlson announced Friday.

“With the rise in incidents of organized retail theft in recent years, we recognized the urgent need to implement targeted measures to mitigate the impact of organized retail theft within San Ramon,” Carlson wrote in a letter shared on the department’s social media pages.

That includes a high-profile armed smash-and-grab robbery of Heller Jewelers at City Center Bishop Ranch, in which at least seven masked robbers broke into the store with guns and hammers in the middle of the day and ran off with more than $1 million in jewelry. Five suspects are facing federal charges in connection.

The $5,616,613 in funds from the State of California Board of State Community and Corrections Organized Retail Theft Prevention Grant Program will be allocated toward several initiatives, Carlson said:

• Increased staffing to create a dedicated team focused on suppressing and preventing organized retail theft.
• Enhancements to the citywide camera network through additional automated license plate readers and situational cameras.
• Enhancements to the existing drone program and the establishment of a Drone as a First Responder program to reduce response times and increase officer’s situational awareness.
• Increased community engagement to improve educational programs related to organized retail theft prevention.
• Increased data and analytical capabilities to improve the department’s response and prevention to organized retail theft.

Carlson thanked Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, the San Ramon Chamber of Commerce, the San Ramon Valley Islamic Center, and Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton, who authored letters in support of the department’s grant application.