Support for LAist comes from
Local and national news, NPR, things to do, food recommendations and guides to Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire
Stay Connected
Listen

Share This

Criminal Justice

LA County Is Getting A Major Boost To Fight 'Smash & Grab' Theft

Interior of a mall store, with perfume couters on both sides
Macy's in Northridge was recently hit by a "smash & grab" robbery
(
Michael M. Santiago
/
Getty Images
)

Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.

SoCal law enforcement agencies are getting a sizable funding boost to fight "smash & grab" robberies, to the tune of $267 million.

Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department are each slated to receive more than $15 million, among the largest awards.

The details

It's touted as the state's "largest single investment to combat organized retail crime," and more than $267 million were approved this week by the Board of State and Community Corrections to clamp down on the crime across the state.

Support for LAist comes from

The money will go to selected law enforcement agencies and district attorney's offices.

“Enough with these brazen smash-and-grabs. With an unprecedented $267 million investment, Californians will soon see more takedowns, more police, more arrests, and more felony prosecutions. When shameless criminals walk out of stores with stolen goods, they’ll walk straight into jail cells,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.

Breakdown of funding

Here's a breakdown of where some of the grant money will go.

Los Angeles County:

  • LAPD — over $15.5 million
  • Sheriff's Department — over $15.5 million
  • Santa Monica Police Department — over $6.1 million
  • Beverly Hills Police Department — over $4.5 million

Orange County:

  • Sheriff's Department— over $15.1 million
  • Anaheim Police Department — over $6.1 million
  • Irvine Police Department — over $5.4 million
  • Costa Mesa Police Department — over $3.5 million

Ventura County:

  • Sheriff's Department— $15.6 million

Riverside County:

  • Riverside County Sheriff, Jurupa Valley Station — over $2.2 million
  • Palm Springs Police Department — over $4.5 million

Why now

Retailers across California have been hit by flash robberies committed by large, coordinated group of people. They'd rush into a store, take as much merchandise as possible before fleeing the scene.

Support for LAist comes from

In Southern California, victims range from large mall staples like Macy's to independently owned shops selling everything from bikes, sneakers, to jewelry.

In August, the city of LA announced a cross-functional task force, bringing agencies including local law enforcement, city attorney's offices, the U.S. Marshals together to address the spate of robberies.

What's next

The new $267-million grant will be distributed to recipients starting Oct. 1.

Go deeper: Here's What You Need To Know About The Series Of Flash Mob Burglaries In LA

As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.

Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.

We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.

No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.

Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.

Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist