Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday directed the California Highway Patrol to increase their presence near major retail sites after a string of thefts targeting high-end stores in the Bay Area and in the Los Angeles metro area.
“The level of organized retail theft we are seeing is simply unacceptable,” Newsom said. “Businesses and customers should feel safe while doing their holiday shopping.”
Newsom said his office met with retailers over the weekend who asked for more police patrols, the Associated Press reports.
“You will see substantially more starting today, in and around areas that are highly trafficked and coming into the holiday season Black Friday in shopping malls,” he told reporters Monday at an event in San Francisco.
