On Saturday, the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office called out Walgreens for not pressing charges against two people who committed a robbery while walking out of the store without paying.
According to the Sheriffs Office:
Just after 1 pm this afternoon, North Patrol deputies responded to Walgreens near Arden Way and Howe Avenue regarding a potential robbery that just occurred. An employee called 9-1-1 and advised our communications center dispatchers that two subjects walked out with stolen merchandise, then physically hit an employee when confronted. The caller described a vehicle in which the subjects fled.
Responding deputies quickly located the vehicle and detained both subjects without incident. They discovered hundreds of dollars in stolen items and eagerly contacted Walgreens to return the items and complete their felony investigation. When they spoke to the employee, deputies learned the subjects never actually hit the employee as they reported when they called 9-1-1; but rather spit on them (while arguably worse, is only a misdemeanor under California law absent other articulable circumstances).
Despite our Deputies’ best efforts, Walgreens and their employees refused to press charges. Furthermore, they would not confirm if all the items stolen were in fact theirs, or if they totaled enough to warrant a felony arrest.
Lack of cooperation from large retailers such as Walgreens make our duty of enforcing laws far more difficult than it should be. Rest assured, the men and women of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office remain steadfast in our commitment to keeping you safe and criminals off the street.
No other information was released and Walgreens has not issued a statement
This incident comes after earlier this week the California State Assembly Public Safety Committee pushed forward a bill that could ultimately begin addressing issues around Proposition 47.
Calling Proposition 47 a “failed experiment”, Assemblyman Juan Alanis introduced AB 335 which would repeal Prop 47 in an effort to help reduce crime and improve public safety. The bill had exceptions for cannabis-related language.
However, Alanis amended the bill. The new version of the bill would ask the Little Hoover Commission to conduct a nonpartisan and in-depth study about the effects of Proposition 47 has had on California, especially concerning the impacts of retail thefts across the state.
Chair Sawyer-Jones stated during the committee meeting he wanted to get down to the bottom of the impacts of Prop 47 and whether or not his retail theft bill was being enforced.
Chair Assemblymember Sawyer-Jones
“So what the author and I talked about is lets get some answers because I am going to push back on your witnesses. I need to find out if this is passive policing or is this District Attorney who are derelict in their duties to prosecute. Or is it judges not meddling out justice and the deliberate attempt to sabotage Prop 47 and Prop 57 by letting this get out of hand,” asked Sawyer-Jones. “That is what is irritating me. I went out of my way to put in an organized retail theft that nobody is picking up and doing.”
He continued by stating he believed if people would have effectively implemented his bill and work with the California Highway Patrol, they would not be having this conversation.
“I do believe the Hoover Commission will shine a light, we will actually know what is going on. Otherwise, your side is going to say prop 47 is not working, my side is going to say it is. But we are going to keep going back and forth that crime is up, crime is down,” said Sawyer-Jones. “Lets find out truly what we need to do to move this forward. I think the Little Hoover Commission will be impartial enough to both our sides, a reality check of what is really happening with shoplifting, smash and grab and organized retail theft front. We honestly need that right now.”
The committee approved AB 335 in an 8-0 vote. (watch the committee meeting)
AB 335 now heads to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations.
