Community Police & Fire

Gig Harbor police crack down on shoplifting

Gig Harbor Police arrested more than 20 suspects during a crackdown on shoplifting Feb. 15 and 16.

The department said arrestees included adults and juveniles apprehended at retail establishments around the city. Officers also contacted several other people to deter possible thefts.

Police arrested one person who was the subject of several warrants, including four counts of retail theft, three of burglary, one of trespassing and one of obstructing a law enforcement officer. Officers booked that suspect into the Pierce County Jail.

Officers also recovered a .38 revolver from a woman who didn’t have a concealed weapons permit.

As of Thursday, Feb. 22, Gig Harbor Police had 10 reports from the retail theft emphasis patrol available for review. In those 10 incidents officers recovered about $1,000 worth of store merchandise suspects took from the Gig Harbor Safeway, Albertsons, Fred Meyer and Home Depot.

Officers issued citations to and released five of the suspects in those 10 incidents. They took four to the Kitsap County Jail on suspicion of misdemeanor crimes and one to the Pierce County Jail for a felony crime.

A Pierce County deputy and store security participated in the crackdown.

Police said about half of the suspects were from the Gig Harbor-Key Peninsula area, while the rest were from elsewhere.

In a statement on social media, the department vowed to conduct more such operations in the future.

“We look forward to more opportunities to partner with our retail establishments to deter these crimes in Gig Harbor,” the department wrote.