Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department restarts organized retail crime detail

Police and politicians are working to crack down on organized retail theft, with 11 Metropolitan Police Department employees recently assigned to investigate such crimes, and a proposed federal law that would create a national center studying the suspects.

Metro moved all detectives out of its organized retail crime detail when businesses shut down during the pandemic in 2020, and the unit was restarted at the beginning of May, spearheaded by Sgt. Patrick Flynn, with eight detectives and two administrators under him.

“These subjects we see, they’re just very brazen,” Flynn said in an interview. “They’re walking out with trash bags or shopping carts full of product from retailers.”

From national chain stores to small businesses, and even pharmacies are becoming victims of thieves who steal large amounts of one item to resell it in other places.

Metro statistics updated weekly on their website show that reports of larceny, robbery and burglary are all down compared with this time last year. Arrests in all three categories were up compared to the same time period.

“One of the biggest concerns we have as an agency, we don’t want to see employees or citizens get involved,” Flynn said. “If somebody is walking out with a cart full of stuff, normally for the most part, (the business) will provide video surveillance, information, if they’re able to get a suspect description or vehicle description. We just don’t necessarily want them to interfere because we don’t want an escalation of violence.”

Flynn said Metro meets with about 50 to 75 retailers every other month to discuss crime trends and their concerns. All businesses are welcome, and Flynn encouraged businesses to reach out to Metro for information.

National issue

Home Depot public affairs Manager Evelyn Fornes wrote in a statement that the company has been working with police for several years to discuss ways to combat retail theft and the organized crimes behind it.

“Some of the most targeted items fall into the categories of wire and wiring devices, power tools, and home automation products,” Fornes wrote. “We have a multitude of initiatives in place to mitigate including; human and technology resources to make theft in our stores more difficult, close partnerships with law enforcement and significant efforts working with federal and state task forces to fight this problem.”

Home Depot worked with Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., on a piece of legislation called the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act.

If passed, the law would create a national center under the Department of Homeland Security with the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Agency investigating suspected thieves working across multiple states.

Cortez Masto’s proposal calls for enhancing the charge of transporting stolen property from a one-time theft of at least $5,000 to include the total stolen over a 12-month period.

The crime carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

“Retailers of all sizes in Nevada are seeing a rise in large-scale, organized theft and I’m working to create stronger tools to detect and prosecute these crimes,” the senator wrote in a statement. “By working with law enforcement and businesses across the state, my bipartisan legislation will help us crack down on these criminal schemes and protect Nevadans.”

The bill is waiting for hearings in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.