GLEN MILLS, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — District attorneys across the country are teaming up with retail stores to get a handle on retail theft.
Officials in Delaware County are among those taking part in National Store Walk Month, a theft prevention campaign, in an effort to step up security.
“Across the country, there have been some horrendous theft rings happening in some of our larger cities,” said Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer.
Stollsteimer says he’s working to weed out seeds of theft growing in the county, but that a big part of the problem lies with people from outside his jurisdiction. The prosecutor specifically called out theft laws in Philadelphia as part of the reason thieves think it’s okay to target Delaware County.
“They thought they were going to get a citation because they believed they could steal up to $499 without being arrested,” Stollsteimer said.
“I want to send a message to anybody who comes from Philadelphia where they think they can steal and only get a citation. You will, if caught, be prosecuted.”
On Tuesday, Stollsteimer took a trip to Wegmans in Glen Mills as part of National Store Walk Month. “We’re here visiting stores,” he said, “to make sure we are familiar with their security procedures and they’re familiar with our law enforcement people.”
He says he realizes theft from retail stores can come from some of the most desperate people, so his office is working with other agencies to let people know about resources they can utilize. However, if that doesn’t work, he cited diversionary programs his office has for low-level offenders in need.
“We try to connect them to human services if that’s what they need,” he said.
James Nolan, the county’s Criminal Investigation Division chief, says when it comes to theft prevention, they are relentless in their attack on theft whether those thieves come from in or outside the county.
“We have increased our computer forensics capabilities, including surveillance methods, including real time crime centers,” he said. “So we’re using that technology to get people after the fact, even if they think they got away with it when they did it.”