by Daniel Stefanski | Dec 8, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A trio of Arizona agencies accomplished justice for local victims of organized crime.
Earlier this month, officials with the Arizona Department of Public Safety along with Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell held a press conference to announce the arrests of four people who were connected to a string of vehicle thefts in Maricopa County.
“These vehicles were transported into Mexico to continue the efforts and further goals of transnational criminal organizations. And in this case a total of 22 high-end vehicles were recovered with an estimated worth of 1.4 million dollars due to the great work of our vehicle theft task force detectives,” said Deputy Director of the Arizona Department of Public Safety Lt. Col. Ken Hunter.
County Attorney Mitchell thanked her law enforcement partners at the state department and Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. She added, “And let me be very clear, my office will not tolerate enterprises that target the hardworking people of Maricopa County. We are committed to pursuing justice and holding those who engage in organized crime accountable for their actions.”
The law enforcement officials revealed in their press conference that the stolen vehicles were taken from the Phoenix-metro region to the U.S.-Mexico border. Mitchell shared that each of the individuals indicted are facing a dozen charges of means of transportation, among other felony counts that were included by the grand jury.
Mitchell has been extremely proactive during her tenure as Maricopa County’s top prosecutor in helping to enforce the law against any and all organized retail theft rings operating within her jurisdiction. She faced a competitive general election this past fall yet emerged victorious over her Democrat opponent to secure her first full term in office. After her race was called, Mitchell stated, “I want to assure you that I will continue to fight against any efforts that would allow Maricopa County to become another Los Angeles, where crime is rampant and public safety is compromised. I will continue to collaborate closely with our dedicated law enforcement partners to address the challenges that lie ahead. I look forward to serving our community and keeping Maricopa County safe.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Mar 14, 2024 | Economy, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
The Arizona Legislature continues to work on solutions to crack down on organized retail theft across the state.
Last week, the Arizona Senate overwhelmingly passed SB 1411 with a 22-4 vote (with four members not voting). The bill would “require the Attorney General to establish the Organized Retail Theft Task Force to combat crimes that relate to stealing, embezzling or obtaining retail merchandise by fraud, false pretenses or other illegal means for the purposes of reselling the items” – according to the purpose from the chamber.
After the vote, Senator David Gowan, the bill’s sponsor, issued the following statement: “California has been forced to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to fight an enormous rise in organized retail crime because of their liberal policies that oppose holding people accountable for breaking the law. Businesses have been forced to shut down and pull out of the state. We don’t want to turn into California, but unfortunately Arizona is also experiencing a rise in these crimes. We need to get ahead of the issue to prevent going down the same path, which is why I sponsored SB 1411 to establish a task force to combat crimes that relate to stealing, embezzling, or obtaining retail merchandise by fraud, false pretenses, or other illegal means for the purposes of reselling the items.”
Gowan added, “The task force will be comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement, in order to use their combined skills, expertise, and resources more effectively. This bill passed out of the Senate with strong bipartisan support. We all want to protect our businesses and keep our communities safe from theft.”
Last month, the bill passed the Senate Committee on Military Affairs, Public Safety and Border Security with a 7-0 tally.
Senator Janae Shamp and Representative Justin Wilmeth joined as co-sponsors for the legislation.
On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, representatives from the Arizona Retailers Association, Arizona Attorney General’s Office, Arizona Food Marketing Alliance, Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, and CVS Health signed in in support of the proposal.
SB 1411 now heads to the Arizona House of Representatives for consideration.
The efforts to shut down organized retail theft crimes continue the state’s already strong reputation on this front. Arizona already has another Organized Retail Crime Task Force, which commenced under former Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s administration and is also housed in the State Attorney General’s Office.
In December 2021, Brnovich wrote an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal, warning would-be criminals of his office’s efforts to investigate and prosecute these offenses – especially in the wake of the lawlessness in Arizona’s neighboring state to the west. He wrote, “As Arizona’s attorney general, I have refused to capitulate to the lawless mob…We expect our efforts will deter such theft and hope our task force becomes a model for California and other states.”
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell also has a strong presence against organized retail theft. In 2023, her office announced that it had made 354 bookings over these crimes, which was the most in the county since 2020. Additionally, in November 2023, Mitchell started a ‘Safe Shopping’ Campaign “to stop this fast-growing category of lawlessness.” Mitchell said, “Here’s what I say to the thieves who commit these crimes: we will find you, you will be arrested, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
