Bellevue police arrest more than 45 people for shoplifting

BELLEVUE, Wash. – Shoplifters beware, there are patrol officers all over the area patrolling the sidewalks looking for anyone trying to steal Christmas presents.

In Bellevue, police patrolled the Factoria shopping center on Wednesday evening as part of a shoplifting operation.

Last Friday alone, they made 14 arrests for shoplifting and arrested more than 40 suspects since main patrols began on November 13.

“I like to be proactive, I like to make arrests,” said Officer Adrienne Barnett of the Bellevue Police Department.

Officer Adrienne Barnett and Officer Larry Perreira were part of a special mission at Factora Mall on Wednesday evening.

“They are on scene when thefts occur, so in many cases we have a higher success rate in catching thieves,” said Capt. Shelby Shearer of the Bellevue Police Department.

The focus patrols work with store damage prevention specialists to stop a crime that continues to occur over the Christmas period.

“We get to know them. We get to know each other and just work well together,” said Officer Larry Perreira of the Bellevue Police Department.

“When there are so many thefts, prices go up,” Officer Barnett said. “People also can’t get the things they want to buy for Christmas or the holidays because they’re no longer available because they’ve already been stolen, and then they have to go online to try to find them. This has a huge impact on everyone.”

Capt. Shelby Shearer says one of their main goals is to stop organized thefts even during the holidays.

“We have zero tolerance for organized theft groups that operate in large groups and distract store employees while their friends steal items,” Shearer said.

And if you see a theft in progress, Shearer recommends calling 911 and notifying store employees.

“If you see it, we can respond more quickly and make those arrests,” Shearer said.

Shearer says patrols will continue until Christmas Eve.

“Since November 13th, we have made 45 arrests with this initiative alone, and we are very proud of that,” said Bellevue Police Capt. Shelby Shearer.

Patrol officers arrested a juvenile for shoplifting at a Bellevue Square store this evening. A possible theft was also reported at the Factoria shopping center around 8 p.m. on Wednesday, but the suspect quickly left and there were no arrests at the mall that evening.

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