SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) announced Tuesday that ten adults were arrested in connection with organized retail crime and petty thefts at Stonestown Mall between October 8 and October 13. Multiple businesses at the shopping center were targeted, although specific store names were not disclosed.
Seven suspects were cited and released at the scene, while three others were booked into San Francisco County Jail due to outstanding warrants in addition to the theft charges.
While SFPD did not officially name the affected stores, a photo released by the department shows several items recovered from the Target store on Winston Drive. The stolen merchandise has since been returned to the respective stores.
According to SFPD, Stonestown Mall was chosen for investigation due to the high number of shoplifting incidents reported by its businesses. Retail crime prevention efforts in San Francisco are being supported by a $15.3 million state grant aimed at curbing theft.
“Our officers have made dozens of organized retail crime arrests in recent months and will continue conducting these operations throughout San Francisco to reduce thefts at local businesses,” the SFPD said in the news release.