This holiday season, shoppers can expect to see increased security around malls and retail areas as a result of smash-and-grab break-ins across California.
“We’ve already kickstarted the season with a comprehensive safety meeting with various stores at UTC mall, where we discussed crime prevention and safety strategies,” the San Diego Police Department said in a post on Instagram.
The department said it will also have more of a presence at malls, including a mix of uniformed officers, undercover officers and members of their Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol team.
“We’re all hands on deck to deter crime and safeguard your piece of mind,” the post added.
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According to the National Retail Federation, an estimated 182 million people were expected to shop in-store or online from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday this year. That's 15.7 million more people than last year. It is also the highest estimate on record since NRF started tracking data in 2017.
But shopping for gifts is not the only thing on some people’s minds when they visit the mall. The NRF also keeps track of organized retail theft. In September, they estimated that retail crime accounted for more than $112 billion in losses in 2022.
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“I’ve watched some videos about those problems,” Javier Ruestas said. “And every time I question, 'What should we do? How can we stop this?'”
Ruestas has had experience as a store manager and told NBC 7 that the business was stolen from countless times. He said, “It wasn’t fair because we tried to work a lot. We tried to have a good market, and some people just get into the market and just rob stuff. They never care about things.”
He was glad to hear that SDPD will have more of a presence around retail areas for the next month. He hopes it is able to help deter crime while also providing comfort to customers when it comes to their safety.
In October 2023, San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan visited an Ulta Beauty store in San Marcos that had recently been the target of theft. She said, “We want to send a message that San Diego is not a good place to come and do this.”
Stephan added that the store was one of 21 Ulta stores in the area that had a smash-and-grab in the last year. In just one month, thieves stole $127,000 of perfumes.
“When people say, ‘Maybe this is about poverty.' No one person needs $127,000 worth of perfume," she said.
SDPD also added some tips for holiday shoppers, including being mindful of your surroundings, keeping personal items secure, and trying to shop and park during the day, but if you have to go to the mall at night, park in well-lit areas.
