Marxist City Threatens Store For Reporting Crime

“The Sacramento City Attorney’s Office warned a chain retail store that it could face a public nuisance charge due to a large number of phone calls placed to police when thieves repeatedly stole from its Land Park location.”

A person with knowledge of the warning but not authorized to speak publicly due to the fear of retaliation told The Sacramento Bee that city officials “threatened the Target at 2505 Riverside Blvd. in the past year with an administrative fine.”

A Sacramento police spokesman confirmed the location, a site that prompted heavy ire from Land Park residents due to repeated crimes when asked about the apparent warning.

Threatening the victim of multiple crimes with a penalty while allowing the perpetrators to walk free is not only unfair but also emboldens them to continue, jeopardizing the self-sufficiency of the neighborhood.

I have written many columns about situations very similar to this. Liberal politicians and policies do nothing to help retail businesses against substantial losses from theft. Then, when the decision is made to close the store, politicians and city officials feign outrage over the store “deserting” the neighborhood.

When people within a community become accustomed to shopping at a particular store, it leaves a hole in the area when it closes. However, the sad fact is that no retailer can handle such devastating losses, and the honest people of the region suffer.

The particular situation appears to have been stewing for a while. In December, Alexander Gammelgard, president of the California Police Chiefs Association, testified before the state Assembly regarding a threat to make businesses the target of official cases (pun unintended).

Gammelgard expressed surprise that anyone would attempt to make a nuisance case out of somebody reporting a legitimate crime. "I don't think there is a place for that."

The threat resulted in an amendment to a retail theft bill in California. The amendment didn't overturn the contentious state propositions causing organized retail theft issues. Instead, it prevents authorities from charging stores for reporting retail theft, thus barring intimidation tactics.

Blake Randol, criminal justice professor at California State University, Stanislaus, put it this way. “What’s problematic is that what Target is complaining about is a legitimate crime concern. The city does have a responsibility to be more responsive to the public and be responsive to crime control demands from the public.”

KOVR TV reported that some residents of the surrounding area have a unique and IMHO, absurd perspective on the situation. Some even consider Target to be the problem, referring to them as a “bad neighbor.”

Kristina Rogers, president of the Land Park Community Association, said:

“There are plenty of places I can go shopping where I don’t have to deal with crime, the theft. It’s really disturbing and disheartening when you are standing there in line paying for things, and someone is just walking out the door with a cart full of stuff. Because criminals know it’s easier to steal here, they start looking around and say, ‘Where else can I go in this neighborhood?'”

After that report, a Target official emailed Sacramento City Council member Rick Jennings II.

“It would be great to be at the store and show what we have actually been working on to address the concern raised most recently in all the news this week,”

The Bee reported that Target and the city “collaborated to create a plan called ‘Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design’ to address the issues raised in the reports. It included ‘placement of security measures such as alarms, cameras, and security personnel’ and also implementing ‘light fixtures, landscaping, wayfinding and space activation measures.”

Jennings issued a statement that said:

“But the meeting also allowed city officials to discuss their ‘concerns’ with Target and that it has acknowledged its ‘problems’ during a discussion with the store.”

The statement noted that Jennings’ office “has noticed ‘observed improvements’ to address ‘community concerns’ regarding ‘unlawful activity.’”

It's unclear what those "concerns" were, and neither side seems to be discussing it. However, it's essential to remember that the same report mentioned that someone with knowledge of the alleged threats for a public nuisance charge said it was that specific Target and that calls from that Target for theft rose dramatically during 2023.

It's evident that the city doesn’t plan to give this Target store anything other than lip service regarding the theft problem. This is very typical of blue-state politics. Do as little as possible but claim to be doing everything.

Sacramento is another city run by liberal Democrats where criminals are prioritized over residents and lawbreakers over victims. If history is any guide Sacramento officials will not change their approach just because they've been exposed by the Bee. They have an agenda and this Target store and the surrounding law-abiding citizens are nothing more than collateral damage.

If I lived in that area, I would check Google Maps for the next closest Target in the vicinity because the store located at 2505 Riverside Blvd is definitely on the clock.