California’s Smash-and-Grab Crime Wave Grows As DA Turns The Other Cheek

The head of the union that represents nearly 1,000 prosecutors within Los Angeles County accused District Attorney George Gascon on Monday of keeping silent amid a rash of violent smash-and-grab crimes that have become increasingly violent.

Eric Siddall, vice president of the Association of Los Angeles Deputy District Attorneys, accused the top prosecutor of caring more about the rights of criminals than he does the victims of their crimes as gangs of thieves continue to violently rob retail stores for thousands of dollars in merchandise, oftentimes endangering customers and staff.

Last week, 14 suspects allegedly involved in 11 smash-and-grab robberies were arrested, then back out on the street only hours later due to zero-bail policies, the suspects will remain free while awaiting their cases to go to court.

“If you look at the 14 people arrested, they could have been charged, there could have been bail amounts set, but none of that was done because the district attorney refuses to take a leadership position on this issue,” Siddall said. “He’s created an atmosphere devoid of accountability.”

Alex Bastian, the special advisor to Gascon, said in a statement that the DA’s office was working with law enforcement and will review the cases to determine what criminal charges are appropriate.

“Our Organized Crime and Cyber Crime Divisions are involved because often many of these cases can be interconnected and part of these crimes happens online,” he said. “These brazen acts hurt all of us; retailers, employees and customers alike. We will hold those responsible accountable.”.

Gascon has been under growing scrutiny over his progressive policies which critics say are too soft on crime. Opponents launched a second recall effort against him Monday after the first failed to gather enough signatures by the Oct. 26 deadline.

Los Angeles and San Francisco have seen numerous robberies targeting retail stores, pharmacies and cannabis dispensaries in recent months.

Both cities are now in the National Retail Federation’s list of cities most impacted by organized retail theft.

The zero-bail policies that have garnered much attention as a result of the crime wave were designed to reduce the jail population as the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the country. Los Angeles police Chief Michel Moore said the effort has had unintended consequences.

“There are individuals in communities that look at that as a lack of consequences, a lack of deterrence and open season in which to go and commit these types of crimes,” he said. “The crisis during COVID, while well-intended, the impact it had on the criminal justice system was significant and severe that it’s developing another crisis in public safety. We have an offender base that commits and are willing to commit serious and violent crimes and we need to make sure the criminal justice system acts as a deterrent.”

Officials in San Jose and Santa Clara County slammed the zero-bail policy last week when two suspects allegedly linked to a Halloween murder were set free while awaiting trial. Another case in Los Angeles County resulted in a car-theft suspect being arrested 13 times over a 12-week time span.

Others put the blame on Proposition 47, the voter-approved measure that reclassified felony thefts under $950 as misdemeanors.

“We didn’t have these flash mobs for many, many years,” Siddall said. “You really cannot blame Prop 47. When people are engaged in a conspiracy to commit larceny, that becomes a felony. You can’t say that the law is weak on these issues. You can’t say that the judiciary is weak on these issues.”

Others argue that imposing harsher punishment on thieves doesn’t serve as a deterrent either.

“Organized retail theft, grand theft and conspiracy to commit theft can all be charged as a felony,” said Cristine Soto DeBerry, founder and executive director of the Prosecutors Alliance of California, of which Gascon and San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin serve on the group’s advisory committee. “People who commit these crimes don’t get caught 99% of the time, so those that claim the solution is ratcheting up punishment for the few who are caught should not be taken seriously.”

DeBerry argues the certainty of being caught is a greater deterrent than the punishment, she said.