Ohio Sheriff: No Federal Assistance Offered for Police to Combat Smash and Grab Retail Thefts in Major Cities
(CNSNews.com) - Fayette County, Ohio, Sheriff Vernon Stanforth said Friday that the $300 million in what the White House considers historic levels of funding for anti-crime measures through President Biden’s COVID rescue plan is not enough to address the string of organized retail thefts taking place in major cities across the country right now.
As CNSNews.com previously reported, Psaki said, “the president and members of our administration have been longtime advocates for supporting and funding the COPS program, something where the president proposed almost $300 million in additional assistance through his budget for what it was last year, and why we have also provided money to get — provided financial assistance to get money to hire 15 more police officers through the COPS program that the president has championed in places like San Francisco, an additional 20 officers in Los Angeles.
“I believe that she has confused old data with the new environment of crime we have across the country right now. She’s talked about in her comment was $300 million was being given to local agencies to help in this. That was money given for other purposes $300 million and let’s break that down. $300 million across every jurisdiction across the country would equal about $18,000 per jurisdiction. How’s that going to help? I don't think so,” Stanforth said.
Host Steve Doocy said that people see the smash and grab robberies and wonder why no one is stopping them.
“They had a debacle on the border. They have yet to get that under control, and now the crime rate across America is hitting every jurisdiction, every community, in my small community, and I'm from a very small community in central Ohio. We had a smash and grab just two days ago. Two women walk into a store, took $4,000 to $5,000 worth of clothing items out of the store in a matter of seconds,” Stanforth said.
“In the larger jurisdictions, this is going on with 20, 30 people coming into a store overwhelming the store security, the store clerks who are typically just 18-, 19-year-old teenagers working their way through college, and they can't stop this,” he said.
“There’s no resources out there for the local jurisdiction to handle this on this level, and we are looking for assistance, and I don't believe there’s any assistance that's come out of the federal government. I’ve looked at agencies across Ohio. I’ve asked the question: Has the federal government contacted you for assistance in the rise in crime in these metropolitan areas? Zero,” Stanforth said.
“We have asked the question of other sheriffs and other police chiefs across the United States. We have yet to find an agency that's had assistance and the surge of crime by the federal government to the magnitude that's needed,” he said.
CEOs from 21 of the nation’s largest retailers are calling on Congress to pass the INFORM Act, which stands for the Integrity, Notification and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers Act, a bipartisan bill that aims to modernize consumer protection laws and protect consumers and retailers from criminals re-selling stolen goods, PYMNTS.com reports.
“While we constantly invest in people, policies and innovative technology to deter theft, criminals are capitalizing on the anonymity of the internet and the failure of certain marketplaces to verify their sellers,” the Retail Industry Leaders Association said in a letter to the House and Senate leadership.
“This trend has made retail businesses a target for increasing theft, hurt legitimate businesses who are forced to compete against unscrupulous sellers, and greatly increased consumer exposure to unsafe and dangerous counterfeit products,” the group added.
“I'm not an IT person, but I hear this term algorithm - I believe that’s the right word - they know everything you’re doing, and so you can't tell me that social media, when you have a major retail theft of thousands and thousands of dollars of televisions and clothing items and jewelry that they can't figure out in that geographical area all of a sudden within 24 hours we have a population on our -- on the websites of stolen items that's now being sold, that they can't figure out, bring that back down to figure out who put that information on the site,” Stanforth said.
“That's where the federal government and the technology come in and help local governments. That's where the resources have to be thrown at, and they need now to take the further step and let the FBI do that work. Let the Marshal Service expand the Marshal Services Task Force on fugitive crime so we can go into the communities and find these bad guys and put them in jail,” he said.
Stanforth said that the administration could direct the FBI to help local police departments stop retail thefts.
“Yeah, and if they would -- if they can make the Harper Valley PTA mom a domestic terrorist, then why can't they determine that these roaming criminal groups, retail criminal groups are not domestic terrorists as well, and put the power of the federal government behind these individuals so when they’re caught, they face stiff penalties, and if they use a gun, that's even stiffer?” he asked.
“They don't get bail. They stay in jail, and the penalty, the consequences for that is -- would be off the chart. That would stop a lot of that activity,” the sheriff said.
L.A. Detective: ‘Safer to Hang Out with Alec Baldwin on a Movie Set Than to Go Shopping in Los Angeles’
Glendale Police Announces 6 Arrests In Rash Of llow
GLENDALE (CBSLA) — Six people, including a juvenile, have been arrested in connection with a series of follow-home robberies since January in Glendale, police announced Friday.
Police say at least nine follow-home robberies have been reported in Glendale since January. And while Glendale police announced the arrests Friday, they say there are still a number of outstanding suspects wanted in connection with these robberies.
Video: Beverly Hills Ramps Up Patrols Amid Dangerous Crime Trend (CBS Los Angeles)
Marquise Hulse, 27, was arrested in connection with the most recent robbery on Nov. 2 in the 1100 block of Sweetbriar Drive. Police also arrested a minor on Oct. 27 in connection with a Rimcrest Drive robbery that happened on Sept. 8; 21-year-old Garfield Graham of Hawthorne and 21-year-old Stephon Johnson of Sunland on Aug. 28 for an alleged Norton Avenue robbery on Aug. 24; 21-year-old Xavier Glaspie of Los Angeles on Oct. 8 for a robbery on California Avenue on April 5; and 20-year-old Donnell Fletcher of Los Angeles on March 29 for a Fairview Avenue robbery on Feb. 15.
All the men have since been freed on bail.
Police urged residents to be aware of their surroundings as they drive home from any location. Anyone who believes they are being followed can call 911 or make their way to the nearest police station.
No comments:
Post a Comment