SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KABC) — At a time of increasingly brazen retail thefts, a California sheriff is suing Target for failing to cooperate with law enforcement.
Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper posted on X about a recent encounter with the company where his deputies were attempting to crack down on shoplifting.
He says the company asked for help, but when it set up operations in the store, a number of restrictions were placed on it that made the job very difficult.
“At the meeting we were told by their head of regional security that we could not contact suspects in the store; we couldn’t handcuff suspects in the store; and when we arrested someone, they wanted us to (process) them outside.” …behind the store…in the rain. We were told they weren’t making a scene in the store and people wanted to film it and post it on social media. They didn’t want negative press. Incredible.”
He added that his deputies saw a woman taking items off the shelves and returning them to customer service, which store employees allowed.
Eyewitness News has reached out to Target for a response.
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Cooper’s complaints about the company’s practices come at a time when many retailers, including Target, are increasingly locking more merchandise behind glass to prevent theft.
Social media videos show many retail stores being attacked by shoplifters and flash mobs, sometimes without any resistance from store employees. Some retailers are even closing stores in cities like San Francisco simply because of increasing thefts and worker safety concerns.