Good morning! Today is Monday, August 21. In the past fortnight, Los Angeles has witnessed a concerning rise in flash-mob-style robberies, with five incidents reported. Many believe that the uptick is due to perceived lenient penalties for these offenses, with critics urging Gascon to reconsider the “zero bail” policy as a potential deterrent.
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Over the last two weeks, Los Angeles has experienced five incidents of flash-mob-style robberies. These smash-and-grab robberies involve groups storming stores and making off with various items, often including luxury goods.
On August 15, a group of robbers descended on Ksubi, an upscale clothing store in La Brea, near Koreatown in LA, around 6:55 p.m. Eleven masked men struck just before the store closed and made off with more than $100,000 worth of clothing. The suspects fled in a Lexus and a BMW in front of the store.
On August 12, approximately 50 robbers stormed into a Nordstrom store within the Westfield mall in Topanga. Masked and clad in black hoodies, they burst into the store, snatched up to $100,000 worth of bags and clothing, and swiftly fled. They were reportedly armed with bear spray and drove vehicles without license plates. Videos capturing the chaotic event spread rapidly on social media.
On August 13, the day following the Topanga flash-mob robbery, three African American men entered an East L.A. Nike store, nonchalantly filling a black garbage bag with merchandise. The stolen goods were estimated to be worth around $1,000.
On August 8, a cohort of more than 30 robbers raided the Yves Saint Laurent store on the ground level of the Glendale Americana mall, a popular shopping destination among Korean Americans. They managed to make off with over $300,000 worth of merchandise. More than 20 cars were involved.
On July 31, a group of nine robbers targeted a Gucci store at Westfield in Century City during broad daylight, escaping with a substantial haul of items.
Their modus operandi was simple. The robbers, mostly wearing black hoodies, entered the store in a group, “smash-and-grabbed,” and fled. The crimes happen so quickly that arrests are often difficult to make. The crimes are getting bigger and bolder. The Nordstrom store in Topanga was robbed around 4 p.m. on a busy Saturday afternoon.
Facing mounting grievances, LA Mayor Karen Bass called a press conference on August 17 and announced the establishment of the Organized Retail Crimes Task Force that will investigate, apprehend and prosecute suspects who have committed “retail theft.”
The task force, which will focus on organized retail crimes in the county, will include detectives and investigators from the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol, Glendale Police Department, Burbank Police Department, Beverly Hills Police Department, Santa Monica Police Department, U.S. Marshals Apprehension Task Force and Federal Bureau of Investigation Task Force.
However, what’s conspicuously missing in this concerted effort is the active involvement or endorsement of L.A. County District Attorney George Gascon, who has been blamed for his “pro-criminal” soft-on-crime policy. In particular, since the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has reintroduced the “zero bail” policy in May, robberies and thefts are on the rise.
The recent surge in flash-mob robberies is largely attributed to perceived lenient penalties for such crimes. People who are arrested for robbery or theft are easily released. Because of Gascon’s “zero bail” policy, simple theft, robbery, and non-violent offenses are released without bail. In other words, it’s a way of catching criminals the hard way and letting them go easily. This policy, though intended for justice reform, is criticized as being too lax, allowing criminals to exploit the justice system.
The Glendale police arrested a 23-year-old man on August 17, suspecting his involvement in a heist at the Americana mall in Glendale. However, he was released later that day due to the “zero bail” policy.
Critics assert that Gascon must retract “zero bail” policy to deter crimes. They believe the police may become less incentivized to apprehend robbers if the suspects are swiftly released without facing significant consequences. The overarching sentiment is that this policy emboldens criminals, leading to brazen daylight robberies with the knowledge that they will not be punished.
In the press conference on August 17, LAPD addressed some concerns regarding the DA’s “zero bail” policy. LAPD reassured that those suspects involved in smash-and-grabs will be charged with robberies and be held in jail.
However, the future of the “zero bail” policy under DA Gascon remains uncertain. In a press conference on August 14, Gascon rebuked a reporter who asked if the “zero bail” for theft or burglary suspects sent the wrong message to repeat offenders and made flash-mob robberies irresistible. Gascon countered that the reporter was pushing a narrative that ran “contrary to the facts.”
This recent spate of incidents has led to increased scrutiny of Gascon’s tenure, with many calling for his resignation. They argue that his lenient approach is fostering an environment that perpetuates the cycle of crime.
“Gascon refuses to pursue misdemeanor cases… He essentially decriminalized theft. The area surrounding the Civic Center now resembles a ‘zombie town’,” criticized L.A. County Deputy District Attorney John Lewin.
By Mooyoung Lee lee.mooyoung@koreadaily.com
