California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced what he called an unprecedented agreement Tuesday with large retailers and online marketplaces aimed at cracking down on organized theft rings that resell stolen goods online.
But in a state that has become notorious lately for brazen smash-and-grab thefts at stores — sometimes captured on video and replayed on nightly newscasts — the state’s top law enforcement official faced tough questioning on whether Tuesday’s agreement is enough.
“There’s accountability,” insisted Bonta, said to have aspirations for the governor’s office, at a news conference in Los Angeles. “I’m not saying this is the only answer, but this is an important step.”
Tuesday’s agreement calls for retailers and online marketplaces to work with the state to help identify stolen goods being resold online and the sophisticated crime rings behind the operations. It also establishes an online portal for online marketplace websites where consumers can report suspected theft activity.
But the announcement raised an issue that has become a vulnerability for California’s governing Democrats who in recent years backed a host of criminal justice reform measures that lowered criminal penalties and prison populations and have been blamed since for the high-profile brazen thefts and robberies.
Bonta stressed that what his office was announcing “is not about one-off thefts from stores, it’s not about the occasional smash-and-grab at your local big box store.
“This about a multi-billion dollar criminal enterprise, criminal schemes that are complex, orchestrated and incredibly organized,” Bonta said.
He described them as large-scale theft and fraud by individuals or groups that steal retail goods from the supply chain with the intent to resell, distribute, or return stolen merchandise for financial gain. In some cases, resale may occur through third-party online platforms.
California and states across the country have…
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