YOU ARE WATCHING
MINNESOTA'S MOST WATCHED
STATION.
THIS IS WCCO 4 NEWS.
THEY ARE NOT THE CRIMES
THAT GET THE MOST ATTENTION, BUT
POLICE SAY THEY OFTEN LEAD TO
MUCH MORE DANGEROUS ACTIVITIES.
THAT'S WHY ALL ACROSS THE
METRO LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
IS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
SHOPLIFTING.
A HOLIDAY ENFORCEMENT EFFORT
THEY CALL THE BLITZ, PILES OF
CLOTHES, CASH, EVEN DRUGS, THE
UNDERCOVER OPERATION IS ON THE
WAY RIGHT NOW TO BREAK UP
BOOSTERS OR PROFESSIONAL
SHOPLIFTERS.
LIZ COLIN GOT A RARE LOOK ON HOW
POLICE ZERO IN ON THIEVES.
341, HENRY YELLOW LINCOLN.
UNMARKED CAR CARRYING TWO
UNDERCOVER POLICE OFFICERS
PATROLLING EAGAN PARKING LOTS
LOOKING FOR ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS.
IF WE SEE THING THAT IS
AREN'T NORMAL AND RVENT THE WAY
WE SHOP AND WE SEE NORMAL PEOPLE
SHOP, WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES
WHY ARE THEY DOING THAT.
HE POINTS TO A FEW FLAGS, 21
TEMPORARY PERMITS CAN BE FORGED
IN CASE THEY WANT TO REMOVE A
LICENSE PLATE.
THE PRINTING IS NOT GOING TO
FADE THAT MUCH.
AND ALSO CARS PARTED IN THE
BACK OF THE LOT WHEN THEY ARE
PLENTY OF OPEN SPACES AND WHEN
GROUPS WALK INTO THE MALL
SEPARATELY.
RENTAL CARS ALSO.
CHRIS IMMEDIATE MAKE UP EAGAN'S
NEW ENHANCED PATROL UNIT,
TARGETING A NEW TWIST IN CRIME
FIGHTING.
FAR MORE ORGANIZE AND MORE
LARGE SCALE THAN A FEW
SHOPLIFTERS.
TAKE THIS CASE, A MAN SEEMS
TO STACK PAPER TOWELS IN HIS
SHOPPING CART TO BLOCK THE VIEW
AND THEN DOZENS OF CANS OF BABY
FORMULA, PUSHING OUT MORE THAN A
THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF
MERCHANDISE AND NOT PAYING.
HE HAS DONE IT BEFORE AND IS
STILL OUT THERE.
THIS IS THE TIME OF CRIMES THAT
THEY ARE CRACKING DOWN ON.
BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCIES AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR
AND TAKING IT TO ANOTHER LEVEL.
THE TWIN CITIES ORGANIZED
CRIME, THEY ARE LOOKING FOR
PROFESSIONAL SHOPLIFTERS, PEOPLE
WHO STEAL TO SELL THE ITEMS
THEMSELVES THE PROCEEDS ARE TO
FUEL THE MARKET OF DRUG TRADE
AND TERRORISM.
WHILE IT MAY NOT GRAB
HEADLINES, THE SEVERITY AND HURT
AND THE VICTIMIZATION THAT
OCCURS ON A SOCIETAL LEVEL AND
PERSONAL LEVEL EXISTS.
SO FAR THEY HAVE SEEN
SUCCESS.
MAPLE GROVE FOUND THESE WOMEN
CARTING OUT SUITCASES.
THEY RECOVERED $3,000 OF
MERCHANDISE FROM THE STORE.
IN COTTAGE GROVE, A TEMPORARY
PERMIT LED TO 4 GRAND CASH AND
THIS MARIJUANA STUFFED IN A
DIAPER DAING SITTING NEXT TO A
4-YEAR-OLD.
AND A SHOPLIFTER GOT SCARED AND
LEFT EMPTY HANDED ONLY TO BE
FULLED OVER.
AND FOUND 3500 WORTH OF STUFF
FROM OTHER STORES AND PRINTERS
AND OTHER TECHNOLOGY USED TO
CLONE CREDIT CARDS IN A MATTER
OF MINUTES.
BUT IT'S A PARTICULAR BUST AT
THE OUTLET MALL LAST MONTH THAT
SHOW HOW BRAZEN THESE CRIMINALS
CAN BE.
THEY LOADED UP THEIR ARMS
WITH CLOTHES AND RAN OUT.
CHRIS AND I HAPPENED TO BE
THERE.
THESE WERE ARRESTED AFTER
THEY DIDN'T PAY FOR THOUSANDS OF
DOLLARS OF CLOTHES.
RIGHT PLACE AND RIGHT TIME
AND ABLE TO RECOVER FROM $5,000
LOSS FOR A RETAILER.
THIS IS MORE THAN 60 ARRESTS
THEY HAVE MADE IN THE LAST SIX
MONTHS.
SENDING A MESSAGE TO SHOPLIFTERS
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.
OUR GOAL IS TO CATCH YOU
LOOKING FOR CRIMES.
YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THEM.
WE ARE OUT HERE LOOKING FOR
THEM.
WCCO 4 NEWS.
OPERATION BLITZ WON'T END
UNTIL THE END FT MONTH,
ADVOCATING FOR TOUGHER
PUNISHMENT DURING LAST YEAR'S
LEGISLATION.