Standing outside a 7-Eleven store that has been repeatedly targeted by flash mobs and other robberies, District Attorney Nathan Hochman on Wednesday hailed what he called the success of the tough-on-crime Proposition 36 passed by voters in November, and touted a new effort to warn potential criminals of penalties they may face.
"Is it working? Has Proposition 36 actually resulted in more felony arrests?" Hochman said as he was joined by elected officials and law enforcement officials outside the store. "The answer is yes. Since Dec. 18, we have had over a thousand Proposition 36 arrests for thieves alone."
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WATCH HEREThe measure increased some shoplifting offenses from misdemeanors to felonies in an effort to crack down on so-called flash-mob robberies and burglaries. A seeming spike in such crimes -- some of which were caught on video and widely televised -- in recent years led to a public outcry for more enforcement efforts.
Hochman said the increased penalties should serve as a warning to potential offenders.
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SIGN UP "Our goal is not to fill our prisons with these thieves," the district attorney said. "If anything, that will be the failure of our efforts. Our goal is to deter these criminals from committing these crimes in the first place, thus saving a whole lot of victims.
"And when I say victims, I don't mean just the stores and the store owners -- the quality of our life is degrading."
The owner of the 7-Eleven store in the 8500 block of West Olympic Boulevard, where Hochman made his remarks Wednesda,y echoed the district attorney's sentiments, saying retailers have been targeted by repeat offenders with no fear of reprisal.
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"Communities have been targeted repeatedly by shoplifters -- not one-time offenders, but the same individuals coming back over and over knowing that there were no real consequences," Jawad Ursani told reporters. "My store was targeted not once but twice by a smash-and-grab by about over 50 teenagers and a repeat shoplifter who is now detained and will be held accountable by this D.A.'s Office as we speak."
One of the flash-mob robberies at Ursani's store occurred in September of last year, when dozens of teens on bicycles swarmed the location and ransacked the outlet. Video of the crime was widely broadcast.
In hopes of deterring criminals, Hochman announced a campaign to distribute thousands of bright yellow stickers to be posted at businesses, warning potential thieves of the stepped-up criminal penalties for robberies.
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Traci Park stressed the seriousness of the retail theft problem, particularly flash mobs.
"These are group thefts. Smash-and-grabs. Daylight raids on stores big and small," Park said. "These crimes are damaging property and putting people at risk of serious harm. And for every video that goes viral, there are dozens of incidents that don't make the news but leave real scars behind."
