EPD Combats Retail Theft with Undercover Operations
This is a press release from the Eureka Police Department. The information has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty:
In response to rising retail theft reports, The Eureka Police Department (EPD) has coordinated undercover operations with the assistance of EPD patrol officers, the Community Safety and Engagement Team (CSET), the Problem Oriented Policing team (POP), non-sworn personnel, and an Agent from Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC).
Over the past two weeks, undercover operations have been conducted at local retailers due to the on-going theft related activities throughout the City of Eureka. During just two operations, 10 total individuals were detained and 9 were ultimately arrested for burglary and shoplifting. For some, additional charges included being in possession of controlled substances, burglary tools, drug paraphernalia, resisting arrest, providing false ID to a peace officer, misdemeanor and felony warrants.
“We hope these ongoing retail theft operations not only provide support to our community’s businesses and their employees, but also deliver a strong message to would-be-shoplifters that their unlawful conduct won’t be tolerated in Eureka,” said Eureka Police Chief Steve Watson.
As Black Friday approaches and holiday shopping is in full swing, the Eureka Police Department will continue crime fighting efforts, including undercover operations. We’d also like to remind those holiday shopping, to not leave shopping bags in your vehicle while you go store to store. Make stops at home or carefully secure in a trunk. If you opt for online shopping, track your packages and limit the time they spend on the porch. Ideally have them sent when someone will be home to receive them.
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“We hope these ongoing retail theft operations <snip> deliver a strong message to would-be-shoplifters that their unlawful conduct won’t be tolerated in Eureka,” said Eureka Police Chief Steve Watson.
Cue massive spit take.
Stealing is as old as the hills. It can never be eradicated, especially this time of year.
So what . You can still ruin a thieves day.
Get out of Dodge.
“Matt Dillon “
We need that type of law enforcement again.
It is just that theft (and criminality in general) is a legitimate and nurtured (by way of being routinely ignored) career for many Humboldt peeps. We here are a magnet for criminal pros, amateurs, and wannabes because many of us live (directly or indirectly) off the street drug industry. We are parasites on each other. Klassy.
I blame white supremacy.
Without lots of crime-including abusing kids-and drugs (growing, transporting, dealing, using), we’d lose our beloved way of life around Humboldt
I have seen it all. From a couple of homeless guys grabbing a case of Bud and running out of the Safeway and no one from Safeway chased them and a guy and his girlfriend in Rite aid grabbing a bunch of makeup and walking out of the store and the checkout clerk saying they do it all the time, to two treakers in WINCO opening a bottle of whiskey and sharing it between themselves as they just walked around the store. Then they capped the bottle and walked out of the store. Last at the Safeway in Arcata three HSU students took two New York steaks each and walked out of the store. I reported all of these to store employees and their response was management does not want any of their employees trying to stop shoplifters from stealing. In fact, one store employee told me his company would fire any employee if they tried to stop or chased a shoplifter. It’s just too easy for thieves to steal from most stores. It’s futile!! They just pass the losses onto honest shoppers. And GOP Trumpers think it is Biden’s doing. HA!! NOT
It’s true. I have a friend who worked at Dollar Tree. He ran out after a thief and got fired. He knew he wasn’t supposed to but he just hates to see people steal so he thought he’d at least scare them a little by chasing them and yelling at them “Thief! Thief!”. Like I said he’s one of the houseless in Arcata. living in his van because he can’t afford an apartment even though he has- oops! I mean HAD a job. This is our world at present…thieves are higher on the food chain than honest working guys. Upside down…
Democrats have run California for the last forty years and passed all the laws that have ruined this once great state. Blaming the GOP for California’s lax enforcement of laws is ludicrous and partisan.
Did you just move to California? We have had Republican Govs MORE in the past 40 years than we have had democratic. From 1983-1999 it was Republican. & again from 2003-2011. So, if we are taking about the past 40 years and the majority of that time was in fact governed by Republicans….it’s their fault? doesn’t make much sense when the facts are placed on the table to keep blaming Democrats does it?
Thanks to the police officers for their efforts in this area.
May I suggest these same special segments of police put a little bit of effort in getting rid of the drug dealers based in parking lots, rundown trailers along the road and elsewhere. Just the other day after work I was getting in my car after work and was threatened by one of these men holding a semi automatic pistol. I looked at him, he looked at me. He chose to walk away. I got in my car and left. I have called and asked EPD to deal with it before with no response, so, for fear they would likely just come make things worse, I called a different law enforcement agency just to get it on record. Come on, Chief. Put your offers out there to clean these messes up. Until someone, possibly me dies at the hand of these lowlifes it will likely keep falling on dead ears. I know this crap has been reported dozens of times. So why don’t you make a Merry Christmas to the city of Eureka and actually deal with this.
Just because they are living a life of crime doesn’t make them low lifes. Most are a product of our failed society
Maybe a product of failed parenting.
Society and success and are pretty easy to navigate if you are disciplined and don’t do hard drugs and have half a brain.
The thieves, meth dealers, and opiate dealers are low lifes.
Especially the ones in Washington DC,
The definition of enabling…
So are we all.
Your ridiculous. The thieves have no one to blame but themselves and laws created by a horrible democratic governor named Gavin Newsome. He has destroyed this state. This state has become disgusting and embarrassing.
Their crime was looking at you?
Presume much?
The semi-automatic pistol was mean-mugging him, too.
Brandishing a firearm in an aggressive manner in an of itself is a crime. Doing it at a drug dealing facility is more of a crime. He was approaching me in a very aggressive manner and only stopped when I looked up at him. There was no question in my mind he was going to use his weapon on me for simply being there. I don’t know why he chose not to, but I am thankful.
What should be an even worse crime is the ignorance of most of the comments. The acceptance of drug crimes, gun crimes, and the multitude of other regular criminal behavior rampant on the streets of Eureka is appalling. But, clearly this is above the comprehension of this site’s audience.
Our taxes at work… Paying for security at Walmart.
When you have leftwing government at every level that encourages and even rewards crime this is what happens at taxpayer expense both in costs of enforcement and cost of goods.