Clark County sheriff’s deputies arrested a dozen people over the weekend during an operation in Hazel Dell to crack down on retail theft.
Deputies and detectives from a variety of units at the sheriff’s office participated in the sting. They arrested 10 people on suspicion of theft, one on suspicion of trespassing and one for a felony warrant in connection with retail theft allegations. Investigators also arrested people with multiple prior retail theft cases, according to a sheriff’s office news release.
“Often, retail theft suspects are not stealing items for personal use but are part of organized theft rings that steal items to be sold for cash or returned to stores for a fraudulent ‘refund,’ ” the news release states. “Many of these subjects are also involved in other crimes, such as vehicle theft, illegal possession of firearms, drug distribution, identity theft and more.”
The sheriff’s office said it intends to do more operations in other parts of the county. The agency posted a video from the operation on its Facebook page.