In a bold move against crime, the Orange County District Attorney's Office has announced a vast public safety campaign aimed squarely at deterring thieves with a clear message plastered on billboards and bus ads: "Crime Doesn't Pay in Orange County," targeting would-be offenders with a stern warning of aggressive prosecution, the campaign leverages assets confiscated from previous criminal activity to fund its widespread advertising efforts.
The initiative sweeps across multiple counties, utilizing static and electronic billboards on major freeways from Los Angeles and Riverside into Orange County, and the strategy doesn't stop there, ads are also spreading through public transit systems stretching through Los Angeles, Long Beach, Norwalk, and Glendale—all in a major push to slash the rate of burglaries and robberies that have seen an uptick in recent years, billboards blaze with the no-nonsense slogan "IF YOU STEAL, WE PROSECUTE,” a direct signal from the office of District Attorney Todd Spitzer.
Reaching potentially over 38 million people within a four-week span, the campaign's visibility is intensive, including bumper stickers and digital marketing that hones in on mobile users across six counties, including San Bernardino, San Diego, and Imperial, alongside Orange, Los Angeles, and Riverside, according to an official press release from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
"There is nothing more important than public safety," Spitzer stated, expressing a sentiment of zero tolerance for criminality, highlighting the greater risks now aggravated by recent policies from Sacramento which, he believes, have softened on crime and whereas Spitzer's office is firmly tossing "the book at criminals" promising no red carpets, just hard time for those caught stealing in Orange County. In June 2022, the crackdown further solidified with the creation of H.E.I.S.T. (Home Invasion. Eradication. Interdiction. Strike. Team.), a special unit for prosecuting robbery and burglary cases from start to finish, a team of veteran prosecutors and DA investigators set to stem the tide in partnership with law enforcement across Southern California, as outlined by the DA's press announcement.
Retailers in the area are being called to action, encouraged to join the fight against crime by displaying campaign advertising on their digital displays, further details and contacts for the initiative are provided by Orange County District Attorney's Office Director of Public Affairs Kimberly Edds, with the full press release giving a comprehensive overview of this assertive public safety operation.
