Over two weeks, from September 26 to October 11, a concerted law enforcement effort in San Bernardino County known as Operation Smash & Grab resulted in 26 arrests and the recovery of over $16,000 in stolen property, as reported by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. The sting operation spanned retail centers across several cities including Rancho Cucamonga, Apple Valley, Hesperia, Victorville, and Chino Hills, targeting organized retail theft operations that were increasingly causing concern in the area.
According to a release by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, the operation involved multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Gangs/Narcotics Division, the Rancho Cucamonga Station, the San Bernardino County Probation Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the California Highway Patrol, and the San Bernardino Police Department. The collaborative effort led to six felony and 20 misdemeanor arrests.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department announced that the teams used both conventional and non-conventional investigative methods to dismantle the theft rings that not only burdened local businesses but also instilled fear in shoppers with their brazen acts.
Full details of the operation and the results can be found in the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s information release.
