Eight arrests were made and more than $11,000 in stolen merchandise was recovered in a Victoria police crackdown last week on retail theft.
Officers targeted shoplifters for a total of 13 hours from Jan. 17 to Jan. 20 at a busy downtown store. All eight arrests were for theft under $5,000, with the value of items found on individuals ranging from $477 to $3,200.
One of the suspects taken into custody was already banned from being in the area due to an arrest for shoplifting from the same store three weeks earlier.
A similar police effort in December resulted in 17 arrests and the recovery of about $5,000 worth of stolen items over three days.
Retailers and security staff have been complaining about “brazen” thefts and related safety concerns, police said.
jbell@timescolonist.com
