Is Theft Causing the End of Retail Stores in California? | Juan Alanis

Siyamak sits down with Juan Alanis, an assemblymember from Modesto County and former law enforcement officer. He discusses the issue of rising retail theft in California and his insights from serving on the Assembly Committee on retail theft. He also talks about the impacts on businesses, law enforcement, and local communities.

“We’re talking about millions of dollars. These chains, these stores, these small businesses—they all stand together against retail theft. But we also need to remember that they’re competitors to each other. So, they’re not always going to share all the information that they have,” said Mr. Alanis. “A lot of people look at it like this: ‘Hey, shoplifting has gone down. Look at it from the previous years.’ Well, when you don’t make it a crime anymore, it’s hard to report it.”