More arrests due to Retail Theft Crime Deterrence Program

The number of shoplifting arrests in Mentor have been on the rise in part because of the Retail Theft Crime Deterrence Program.

The program, funded with the help of a state grant, enables the Mentor Police Department to use undercover surveillance details in the parking lots of retail stores for the purpose of identifying and arresting those suspected of retail crimes, many of which are related to drug use.

During 2015, 41 of the 67 arrests made under the grant were drug addicts. In 2016, that rose to 59 of the 81 arrests being drug addicts.

Mentor Police Chief Kevin Knight attributes the increase in arrests not only to the increase

in opiate use, but also the crime deterrent program and the educational aspect of it.

“We are educating the stores as part of the program so they are more aware, which results in more apprehensions,” Knight said. “They are more aware of what to look for and more aware of calling us ahead of time when they see stuff, and I think that aids in bringing the numbers up.”

There are currently an estimated 65 to 68 stores participating in the program working in collaboration with the police department, and the department expects more stores to join.

“We are going to be having several store

meetings coming up here shortly and we anticipate when we have those meetings always adding a couple of new stores every time,” said Sgt. Jim Collier, community policing officer.

The stores in the network include a majority of stores from the Great Lakes Mall, retail bigbox stores, and drug and grocery stores. Pet stores also have started to join the network as they notice shrinkage in the smaller accessory type items, such as leashes and collars, according to Collier.

“Shoplifters have no boundaries,” he said.

This grant was the first of its kind, according to Knight.

“We kind of developed it,” he said. “We started this program without a grant and when it was successful, we took what

we put together and sent in and asked for a grant and they approved.”

The city has made a strong commitment to the program, Collier said.

The grant in the amount of about $24,998 is a 50-50 match, meaning the state will reimburse the city for half of it.

This program is unique to the city of Mentor, and not one many other cities have been able to duplicate.

“We have had outreaches from other police departments who have contacted us and asked what we are doing and we explained how to do it, but it’s a long process applying for a grant,” Collier said.

The program is a collaboration of the Lake County Narcotics Agency, the Mentor Police Department and the Lake County

Sheriff’s Office. The collaboration team also includes several big-box stores. All team members meet during the course of the grant for progress updates and to discuss what, if any, adjustments need to be made, Collier said.

The police department has been able to connect shoplifting to the opiate problem due in part to many suspects admitting when apprehended they are stealing to support their drug habit, Collier said.

“People who start using these opiates often begin stealing from their families, and the families are often reluctant to pursue it,” Knight said. “It goes on and then it goes to other family members then it goes to other people’s homes and then to shoplifting.”

Knight fears that the

problem has gotten so big that he really doesn’t know of anybody who doesn’t know of someone affected by it.

“The majority of these people don’t want to be on (opiates) but once they’re on it, it consumes them, it controls their whole life,” Knight said.

Now, according to Knight, addicts are stealing the ingredients for methamphetamine, like Sudafed and lithium batteries, and selling those to meth cooks for money for their heroin, adding another aspect to retail theft.

While, Knight and Collier are satisfied that the program is working and that is substantiated by the rising numbers, Knight feels it’s a Catch-22 situation because he would rather see the numbers falling.

“The opiate problem is

not going away,” Knight said.

Collier feels that the program is probably 100 percent successful.

“I don’t mean to boast, but in all honestly we have a good buy-in from all the retailers, and a lot of retailers when we have meetings comment, I wish other cities where ‘I have stores would do something like this,’ ” Collier said.

Knight states that is has more than met the Mentor Police Department’s expectations on what they were hoping to do with it.

“It has really been successful. The whole program started with an idea by our patrol officers,” Knight said. “This is just one of the aspects of our overall attempt to deal with the opiate problem. We have taken part in a lot of other things.”