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Berkeley police crack down on retail theft
KTVU tagged along on a Berkeley police retail-theft operation as uniformed and undercover officers caught alleged thieves in the act.
BERKELEY, Calif. - Berkeley police were out in full force on Friday as part of a retail theft crackdown involving both uniformed and undercover officers.
KTVU cameras were rolling as police arrested several suspects at the downtown Target store on Shattuck Avenue.
"Is there anything you didn't pay for in your pockets?" Sgt. Darren Kacalek asked a suspect.
"Um, candy bars," the man replied.
"Candy bar over here?" Kacalek asked as he searched the suspect's jacket.
Out fell a Kit Kat. And another, and another.
Police, in fact, say he stole 16 Kit Kats, 38 Hersheys and 19 Snickers bars, as well as a loaf of bread. Total haul? $141 in food items.
"A little cornucopia of chocolate bars," Kacalek said.
Suspects give explanations in thefts
What they're saying:
The suspect told KTVU, "I couldn't find my wallet. Sorry about that."
Kacalek said it's not just about stealing candy.
"It's a deeper-seated thing, like people need the dopamine hit when they can't get drugs. The sugar gives them a little bit of that," Kacalek said.
Three other suspects were busted for stealing from Target, including a man who allegedly stole some mango juice.
Asked for an explanation, the man said, "I wasn't paying attention. I put it in my pocket by accident."
Officer Dylan Melowitz was in plainclothes at Target, helping to catch shoplifters in the act.
"When you add that up over time, it just creates an unstable business environment for our business owners," Melowitz said.
Car stop of retail theft suspect leads to arrest
The backstory:
Earlier, KTVU was just minutes into our ride-along with Sgt. Joe Ledoux and Officer Greg Michalczyk when they got a Flock Safety alert on their cell phones.
"We're going to try to intercept a wanted vehicle," Ledoux said. "It's going to be from Flock, our license plate readers."
As they drove toward where the SUV last seen, the sergeant said he remembered busting the suspects previously in connection with a theft at REI and the fact that the BMW was green.
Sure enough, the officers intercepted a green X5 at Dwight Way and San Pablo Avenue that was driven by one of the suspects.
"So the subject told us there's some crystal methamphetamine in here and that he's also on parole, so parole search," Ledoux said.
They found meth in the BMW – with tags that expired in 2020 – and confirmed the suspect was wanted on warrants.
But there was more.
"So on top of the crystal methamphetamine, we have a tool that's used commonly for breaking into cars, he's on parole for that. He has a mask, and he has a device used for — could be used for stealing vehicles," Ledoux said.
Berkeley police say they typically conduct a retail-theft operation every other week.
Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on X @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan
The Source: KTVU reporting, Berkeley police