Some of the “boosters” exiting retail stores at Keizer Station last week found themselves in handcuffs and on their way to jail.

They were snagged as part of a one-day blitz across the country to catch organized shoplifters.

The Keizer Police Department joined in, conducting one of its occasional special missions to deter store thefts.

Those caught with stolen pants, radios and other items face theft charges. But often they also are found with illegal drugs, which adds to the criminal charges.

Keizer uses a $168,000 grant from the state Criminal Justice Commission for the work. The money covers overtime pay for officers and equipment costs.

Results of Friday’s operation weren’t immediately available, but Det. David Zavala said the agency’s aim is to make Keizer an unwelcome place for professional thieves.

The veteran officer organizes the operations, carefully coordinated with the security and loss prevention staff at local retailers.

Police agencies across Oregon are making use of $5 million set aside by the Oregon Legislature in 2023 to pay for such theft operations. Legislators also stiffened laws relating to organized thievery, giving prosecutors more ways to corral boosters.

Representatives of police associations and business organizations spoke in unison two years ago about the need for Oregon to get tougher on shoplifting. 

“This is an issue that not only hurts the economy but also threatens the safety of our employees and customers,” according to testimony from Kevin Stone of Columbia Sportswear Company. “Offenders that engage in crimes against retailers not only steal from retailers but also resort to violence and intimidation to get their way.”

More and more, this is theft being driven by organized retail crime syndicates Often it is not the result of a single individual breaking the law, but rather a part of an organized scheme to either defraud retailers or steal products for resale elsewhere.

– Derek Sangston, Oregon Business & Industry

A spokesman for the state Justice Department told legislators, “We worry about the impact to businesses and the economy. It is exactly this type of crime that makes us all feel less secure and degrades the livability of our communities.”

One of the state’s largest business organizations, Oregon Business & Industry, urged legislators two years ago to act. National research showed organized shoplifting had soared in recent years, costing retailers billions of dollars, the group reported.

“More and more, this is theft being driven by organized retail crime syndicates,” testified Derek Sangston of the business group. “Often it is not the result of a single individual breaking the law, but rather a part of an organized scheme to either defraud retailers or steal products for resale elsewhere.”

Keizer Station is an appealing target. It’s right off Interstate 5, making for a quick escape. And it features stores ranging from Target to Lowe’s to Carhartt carrying items that can readily be resold.

“We’re seeing more individuals coming down from Portland and coming up from the Eugene area that are prolific shoplifters,” Zavala said.

He said boosters may take $200 worth of goods and sell them for $50, typically to finance a drug addiction. They can go to operations that traffic in stolen goods –   so-called “fences” – or strike up deals in bars, apartment parking lots and other venues.

Zavala plans an operation by coordinating with retailers at Keizer Station. He needs to ensure the stores will have enough of their own personnel on hand to track suspected thieves as they move about a store.

He also enlists Keizer officers to take an overtime shift for the operation, leaving normal patrols in place. Uniformed officers are staged near stores as Zavala stays in touch with store employees.

It’s up to the employees to detect a theft in progress. They can see someone conceal store goods in a coat or backpack. They can watch someone load up a shopping cart and then brazenly make for the exit without paying.

“Once you walk out, you’ve committed the crime of theft,” Zavala.

He radios for other officers to move in, with a team of two or three confronting the suspected thief.

Officers then inventory the stolen property before it is returned to the store.

And suspected thieves are headed to jail.

They may not spend much time there, Zavala said, but he works with the Marion County Jail to see that suspects are at least booked. That can take a couple of hours.

That surprises some of the suspects, he said, who are used to simply getting a citation and being turned loose in other communities. They ask, “What do you mean, I’m going to jail?”

But that’s part of the deterrence, Zavala said.

He said thieves sometimes get spooked inside a store.

“They ditch the cart and walk out,” he said. “We don’t have anything. We don’t have a crime.”

He said veteran thieves are aware of Oregon laws governing theft.

Most are charged with second-degree theft, taking goods valued from $100 up to $1,000. The crime is a misdemeanor.

Cross the threshold to $1,000 and the crime becomes a more serious felony.

“A lot of individuals know the limit,” Zavala said. “We’ll ask them how much they have and they know – $800, $900 worth.”

Those caught shoplifting face another immediate sanction – a prohibition on stepping onto Keizer Station property for the next year. Zavala said he worked with property owners and managers to arrange that so the entire retail center is covered.

If someone with such a ban does return, they can be arrested for criminal trespassing.

Zavala hopes Keizer’s repeated operations broadcast a message to the professional thieves: “Don’t come to Keizer.”