The Washington County District Attorney’s Office, on behalf of the Washington County Interagency Organized Retail Theft Taskforce, recently received a grant for $1.54 million from Oregon, money officials say will be used to combat organized retail theft and shoplifting.
The grant was the largest to be distributed by the state for the Organized Retail Theft Grant Program and was more than $800,000 more than the next largest grant for the program.
“The funding will be used to enhance efforts to investigate, prosecute, and stop shoplifters and organized retail theft crews from targeting businesses in Washington County,” said a statement from the Washington County’s District Attorney’s Office. “The money awarded will allow law enforcement and prosecutors to engage in more joint retail theft missions, will help gather additional evidence of retail theft crimes, and will expand the ability to lodge arrested individuals in jail."
In addition, the money also will be made available to eligible small and medium-sized retailers to help upgrade security and surveillance systems.
“Retail theft is a crime that impacts the quality of life for Washington County businesses and residents,” Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton said in a news release. “This grant funding sends a strong message to businesses and customers that we care about their safety, and to criminals that we will hold them accountable.”
A portion of the grant will be used to purchase specialty equipment for local law enforcement agencies, allowing them “to bolster their ability to address these crimes and to conduct theft missions across Washington County.”
Applause from local law enforcement
Among those agencies pleased with the grant is the Tigard Police Department, whose specialized Commercial Crimes Unit investigates business burglaries, robberies, counterfeiting, working diligently on such crimes as shoplifting and organized retail theft.
“Our Commercial Crimes Unit has been dedicated to fighting crimes just like this for years in the Tigard area, and the extra resources provided by this funding will only bolster their ability to interrupt organized retail theft, shoplifting, robbery, and other commercial crimes in our community,” Tigard Police Chief Jamey McDonald said.
While other agencies have detectives investigating such crimes, Tigard is believed to have the only unit in Washington County dedicated specifically to investigating commercial crimes. That unit is funded in part by Tigard business fees.
The Sherwood Police Department also is looking forward to impacts provided by the grant.
“While this grant is not a complete solution to the theft problem in our county, it represents a significant step forward," Sherwood Police Chief Ty Hanlon said. "It sends a strong message that our local law enforcement agencies are committed to investigating these crimes thoroughly, and our District Attorney’s Office will prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law.”
Hillsboro is glad to have money focused on organized retail theft as well.
“Over the past few years, the Hillsboro community has seen an increase in organized retail theft. We have worked diligently to combat this increase and to build close working relationships with area businesses. This grant will help further our work in these areas by providing needed additional resources,” said Hillsboro Police Chief Jim Coleman.
Rising thefts, at least in Sherwood
While difficult to gauge the amount of time Sherwood police spend on shoplifting calls, the department received 657 theft calls in 2023, 40 more than the previous year.
“Theft is one of our highest calls for service that results in arrests made by officers,” said Officer Paul Mattson, public information officer for Sherwood police.
And shoplifting there is even larger than reflected in statistics with many stores whose policies prohibit them from reporting shoplifting thefts to police.
“So the shoplifting problem is much higher than we can statistically quantify,” said Mattson.
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