Yolo DA unveils ‘first of its kind in the nation’ program targeting retail theft offenders

The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office on Tuesday unveiled a new program targeting retail theft that speeds up shoplifting investigations by allowing stores to communicate directly with prosecutors.

Known as “Fast Pass,” the new program skips the step where retailers would report shoplifting to police, who would then submit investigative reports to prosecutors to determine whether to file criminal charges.

Retailers in Yolo County can now submit their details of the alleged shoplifting directly to the District Attorney’s Office to determine whether further investigation is necessary and what criminal charges to file.

“Because of factors outside of the control of police and sheriffs, including high priority call volume, limited staffing, some police responses can be delayed or simply impractical,” District Attorney Jeff Reisig said. “Fast Pass becomes a force multiplier for retailers and the police by directly expediting the facts of non-emergency incidents to the ultimate decision maker, the DA, for charging consideration and allocation of investigative assets.”

Reisig unveiled the new program during a news conference inside the Walmart Supercenter store in West Sacramento flanked by several law enforcement leaders in the county. His office also chose to announce the early results of the new program, which was implemented in the fall, on California’s March primary Election Day as voters headed to the polls.

“The foundation of any civilized society is based upon the idea that conduct is moderated by laws and that those who break the law will be swiftly and fairly held accountable,” Reisig told reporters.

“Unfortunately, through a combination of factors in California, including weak criminal laws, increasing violent crime and chronically understaffed law enforcement agencies, many retailers have suffered incredible losses with little or no relief.”

A report published in September by the Public Policy Institute of California examined commercial burglaries and robberies of commercial businesses. Shoplifting is defined under California’s Proposition 47 as entering a commercial establishment with intent to steal property valued at less than $950 during business hours.

The PPIC report said data failed to reveal evidence of increases in shoplifting until 2022, when California experienced a 28.7% spike from the low rates of COVID-19 pandemic years. Robberies, which are violent crimes in which force is threatened or used, at commercial businesses are much less common than shoplifting and commercial burglaries, the PPIC analysis found.

Program targets repeat offenders

Reisig said his Fast Pass targets repeat offenders and those accused of more serious crimes, not first-time offenders.

In the first seven months, the District Attorney’s Office has filed criminal charges against 49 retail theft suspects in 43 cases. Reisig said those charges include dozens of felonies with thefts of store merchandise totaling more than $105,000.

The 49 suspects accused of retail theft have a combined 134 previous theft convictions. Of the 49 suspects, 93% have previous arrests on theft charges, 46% on burglary charges, 33% on robbery charges and 28% on organized retail theft charges, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

Also, 17% of the accused 49 suspects had previous arrests on violent assault charges, and 43% of them had been arrested on family violence charges, prosecutors said.

Reisig said his office launched the Fast Pass program in cooperation with several retail chains, including Walmart, Best Buy, Lowe’s, Rite Aid, the TJX Companies, CVS, Nugget Markets, Safeway, Walgreens, IKEA, Raley’s and Home Depot.

Jarred Crabtree, Walmart’s vice president for enterprise security coordination and support, called Fast Pass a “cutting edge program” that strengthens relationships between retailers and law enforcement.

“What’s more is our associates feel confident in that they have the backing from law enforcement and also from the local prosecutor’s office,” Crabtree said in the news conference.

Reducing time between arrest and prosecution

Reisig said Fast Pass can reduce the delay between an arrest and prosecution in some cases from months to weeks — or even days.

But he said it’s not intended to dissuade retailers from calling 911 in emergencies or reporting crimes to police and sheriff’s officials, and nothing in the new program prevents law enforcement officials from responding to those calls for help.

Yolo County Sheriff Tom Lopez said businesses and retailers have become increasingly victimized while many law enforcement agencies are spread thin due to rising violent crime and difficulty with staffing and recruiting of peace officers.

“My message as sheriff for all prospective thieves and criminals should be clear: We are ready for you. We are united, and I have open jail cells waiting for you,” Lopez said in the news conference.

But Lopez also said they stand ready to aggressively hold thieves accountable with compassion to help those suffering from mental illness or drug addiction, and to help rehabilitate those who are willing.

West Sacramento Police Chief Rob Strange spoke about recent retail thefts in his city in which store loss prevention staff were faced with a violent encounter, including a failed shoplifting attempt at a Target store in which a person reportedly pulled a loaded handgun from a backpack as a police officer tried to handcuff him.

The suspect dropped the handgun during the scuffle with the police officer, and a Target store employee kicked the gun away. Strange said the suspect was a previously convicted felon not allowed to possess a gun, and the actions of the officer and the store employee likely saved innocent lives that day.

“Our community is just tired about having to worry about it at all,” Strange told reporters. “They’re fed up, and they clearly recognize that this simply wasn’t the world we were in a mere decade together.”

Greg Totten, CEO of the California District Attorneys Association, said Fast Pass should be replicated throughout the state and rolled out on a much broader basis. He said he hopes to work with retailers on training for prosecutors and retailers on the finer points of Fast Pass.

“This program is a first of its kind in the nation,” Totten said in Tuesday’s news conference. “It is an extraordinary pilot project that enhances communications between businesses and the prosecutor, spares scarce law enforcement resources, and ultimately produces stronger, more provable cases that can be filed in court and ultimately result in convictions of the perpetrators.”