DA takes anti-retail theft crackdown on the road across Alameda County

Alameda County DA tours retailers to combat organized retail theft

Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson is partnering with business owners to tour stores and strengthen prosecutions against organized retail theft groups.

UNION CITY, Calif. - Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson is visiting businesses across the county on Wednesday to strengthen partnerships aimed at dismantling organized retail theft operations. She said her office is focused on charging and penalizing groups that make a living through retail crimes.

On-the-ground assessment in Union City

What we know:

Dickson was in Union City on Wednesday, touring a Walmart alongside store managers and security personnel. The visit allowed her to observe deterrents used by big-box retailers, including locked displays and enhanced surveillance, while gathering information to support prosecutions.

"It helps us kind of figure out what the trends are," Dickson said. "And what these stores do to help combat organized retail theft helps us to work regionally."

She pointed to high-security areas, such as the cosmetics sections, which have limited entry and exit points.

"It was like a bullpen, so it's hard to get in and get out of that area stealing all of those things," she said. "If that’s the case that we receive, in the back of my head, I’m thinking, ‘Is this an inside job? Is somebody helping them do this?’"

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Decline in incidents, officials say

What they're saying:

Nathan Smith, lead counsel for Walmart, said theft remains a concern, but the Union City store has seen a general decline in incidents in recent years. He attributed that trend to increased coordination among district attorneys statewide and new tools stemming from Proposition 36.

Expanded enforcement strategies

Big picture view:

The district attorney’s office is using sentencing enhancements for organized retail theft and assigning separate prosecutors to handle cases from initial charges through sentencing. The office is also coordinating with other jurisdictions to track regional crime patterns.

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Impact on small businesses

While much of the focus is on large retailers, Dickson emphasized that small businesses are also heavily affected.

In Oakland’s Chinatown, the Vietnamese restaurant Tay Ho was targeted early Wednesday when a car rammed its entrance three times in an attempted robbery.

In Alameda, the bakery Doodlecakes was among several businesses hit during a string of break-ins in February. Owner Rebekah Scott said thieves took only about $10 from a tip jar, but the cost of repairing the storefront far exceeded the loss.

The district attorney’s office highlighted recent enforcement efforts, including 69 felony charges filed against an Oakland DJ accused of large-scale retail thefts across California.

Next Steps

Dickson said she plans to continue outreach efforts with a tour of a Macy’s store next week.