Some cities are passing their own laws in order to combat an epidemic of brazen organized retail thefts across the country that have led to some stores shutting down.
In one example from the King Soopers grocery store in Brighton, Colorado, two thieves were caught on video on Monday loading up a grocery cart with detergent and other high-price items before running for the exit.
The video shows a security guard and one bystander try to stop the couple, but a black male fights back and they escape after tossing all their ill-gotten goods into a car.
The male had allegedly brandished a screwdriver and threatened, “You’ll have to shoot me or give me my stuff. I’ll stab you if you don’t give me my stuff.”
These kinds of incidents are pushing local lawmakers into passing laws to strengthen the law enforcement response to such robberies, according to a report from CBS News.
“The situation is out of control,” said Mayor Mike Coffman of Aurora. The city has passed an ordinance that would put people in jail for three days if they are found guilty of stealing more than $300 in merchandise.
“There’s a rising anger about that,” Coffman continued, “and the feeling is they’re not just stealing from the store, they’re stealing from everybody.”
He went on to say that the new law was a response to the state legislature lessening penalties for theft.
“When somebody is an habitual criminal and behind bars, those days they are not creating new victims, not stealing from our stores,” said Coffman.
“The message of this ordinance is, ‘Aurora is fed up,'” he added. “Aurora is gonna be tough on crime.”
Property crime in the city has dropped 13.9% over the same period from last year.
In the city of Westminster, a new law will target car crimes, including joyriding, street racing, and catalytic converter theft.
“Don’t do a crime in Westminster. We want you to know we are going to hold you accountable if we catch you breaking the law in Westminster,” said David DeMott, the mayor pro tem of the city. He also claimed the new law was a response to weakened resolve at the legislative level.
In the King Soopers theft, police said they were able to make an arrest after they pulled over 20-year-old Zola Diandwakila in a stolen car. Diandwakila was given a $5,000 bond over the stolen merchandise that was estimated to be worth about $600. Police said they are still seeking to identify the woman involved in the robbery.
Here’s the local news report from CBS Colorado:
Arrest made in King Soopers shoplifting case: video viewed by thousandswww.youtube.com
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