SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper took to social media Thursday to accuse retail giants Walgreens and Target of allowing retail theft after allegedly refusing to green light a law enforcement operation.
"Walgreens corporate office refused to cooperate with our deputies, making it impossible for us to carry out our operation at this [Sacramento] Walgreens store," Cooper wrote online. "This was yet another example of big retailers reminding us that they DON'T CARE about retail theft or the consumer."
A spokesperson for Walgreens said they frequently work with law enforcement in California for retail theft sting operations, though they did not comment on the specific operation Cooper referenced.
"We're worried about public safety. We're worried about law and order. We're worried about enforcing laws that are on the books," said Sgt. Amar Gandhi, spokesperson for the sheriff's office. "We can't do a darn thing until those employees are willing to put pen to paper and corporate policies aren't allowing them to do that on a lot of these cases."
He also went after the California Retailers Association (CRA), saying the organization "did nothing" in 2020 to address retail theft at the ballot box.
CRA President and CEO Rachel Michelin said she and her organization have been at the front lines of fighting retail theft for years, working closely with Gov. Gavin Newsom to secure crime prevention funding.
"I've known the sheriff for years, he knows how to find me. I'm not getting into public policy discussions via Twitter, he should get on the phone to move the agenda forward," Michelin told ABC10. "We helped secure almost $300 million in state funding to fight retail theft, millions for Sacramento we negotiated. He wasn't in the room, I was."
She said she knows Cooper has certain political opinions, but she believes in working with all state and local officials.
"It's not about politics, this is not about calling people out on Twitter — this is people's lives," said Michelin.
Here is the full statement from Walgreens:
"Theft continues to be one of the top challenges facing retailers nationwide including Walgreens, and that’s why we partner with law enforcement, elected officials and community leaders to address this issue.
We frequently work with law enforcement agencies on sting operations across California and the rest of the county as part of a multifaceted approach to combat organized retail crime and theft, and invite future and additional collaborations, including with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department."
(Editor's Note: This headline has been updated to better reflect the article.)
