Police say little penalty for property crimes is leading to uptick in retail theft
Aug 1, 2024, 8:00 AM
In mid—July, a store inside a St. George mall was burglarized, resulting in the retail theft of $500,000 of merchandise. (KSL TV)
(KSL TV)
WEST VALLEY CITY —In mid—July, a store inside a St. George mall was burglarized, resulting in the retail theft of $500,000 of merchandise.
Police said the theft was committed by a sophisticated, international crime group that travels from state to state, committing retail theft. It’s part of a rising trend of organized groups targeting Utah as a hotspot for stolen goods.
Police say there has been a steady rise in sophisticated crime groups traveling from state to state to steal large quantities of goods since 2020. Recently, nine people were arrested during a shopping mall blitz in West Valley City.
KSL obtained photos from that blitz showing a perpetrator walking out with a full shopping cart of goods. Police said the goods are then either traded for drugs, sold on a black market or returned to the store for cash, as seen in another obtained photo.
Some of the people committing crimes are local repeat offenders. However, police said most are from out of the country, traveling from the border to different states to commit theft. They said the route in Utah often involves hitting stores along Interstate 15 from other states.
Read the full story and more from Darby Sparks on ksltv.com.
