The initiative reflects a broader push by the CHP’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force (ORCTF), which has been active since 2019, to tackle retail theft through enhanced partnerships with law enforcement and retail stakeholders. This operation at Las Americas Premium Outlets, a high-traffic shopping destination near the U.S.-Mexico border, underscores the focus on improving in-store security, streamlining crime reporting, and ensuring a safer environment for consumers during a busy shopping period. The CHP has a history of success in San Diego, with a similar operation at the same location in November 2024 leading to 23 arrests and the recovery of 264 stolen items worth nearly $12,000.
This recent crackdown aligns with statewide efforts to combat retail theft, which has cost retailers billions annually - $30 billion per year nationwide, according to the National Retail Federation. Since its inception, the ORCTF has facilitated over 4,000 arrests and recovered more than 1.3 million stolen goods valued at nearly $54 million, with a notable uptick in enforcement in 2025.
For instance, a January 2025 operation in the Golden Gate Division recovered 1,619 items worth over $183,000, and a December 2024 statewide blitz, Operation Holiday Watch, resulted in 117 arrests and the recovery of $38,290 in stolen merchandise. These efforts are part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s Real Public Safety Plan, which has invested $1.1 billion since 2019 to bolster local law enforcement and combat crime, including a $267 million grant program that has supported over 10,000 arrests for retail theft and related offenses.
While the operation demonstrates a robust response to retail crime, it also raises questions about the root causes of such theft and the effectiveness of current strategies. Critics argue that California's Proposition 47, passed in 2014, which reclassified theft under $950 as a misdemeanor, may incentivize repeat offenders, as seen in cities like New York, where one-third of retail thefts are committed by just 327 individuals, according to a 2023 America First Policy Institute report. The CHP’s focus on high-visibility operations and partnerships with retailers aims to deter crime, but the persistence of organized theft rings suggests deeper systemic issues, such as economic disparity and lenient prosecution policies, may need addressing to achieve lasting change.
While the operation demonstrates a robust response to retail crime, it also raises questions about the root causes of such theft and the effectiveness of current strategies. Critics argue that California's Proposition 47, passed in 2014, which reclassified theft under $950 as a misdemeanor, may incentivize repeat offenders, as seen in cities like New York, where one-third of retail thefts are committed by just 327 individuals, according to a 2023 America First Policy Institute report. The CHP’s focus on high-visibility operations and partnerships with retailers aims to deter crime, but the persistence of organized theft rings suggests deeper systemic issues, such as economic disparity and lenient prosecution policies, may need addressing to achieve lasting change.
For now, the CHP Border Division’s efforts at Las Americas Premium Outlets highlight a commitment to public safety, with plans to continue such operations year-round to protect San Diego’s retail community and its shoppers.
