|
FFX Now
By Angela Woolsey Published August 16, 2024 at 10:30AM | Updated August 22, 2024 at 11:51AM The Fairfax County Police Department is continuing to crack down on retail store thefts with the assistance of local businesses, Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control and other law enforcement agencies. Recent investigations have yielded arrests in several cases that targeted “high-end” retailers, particularly in Tysons, and Virginia ABC stores around the region, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis announced at a press conference yesterday. At the briefing, Davis drew a distinction between the repeat, “organized” thefts that police are concerned about and the standard perception of shoplifting, a word he says he no longer uses because he feels it diminishes the seriousness of the crime. Under a law adopted last year, Virginia defines organized retail theft as cases where multiple people collaborate to steal at least $5,000 over 90 days from one or more retail establishments “with the intent to sell such retail property for monetary or other gain.” The offense is a class 3 felony, carrying potential sentences of five to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $100,000. “It’s not little Johnny stealing a Three Musketeers bar. It’s not a mother stealing formula to feed her children,” Davis said. The “high-end” retail thefts The FCPD reported yesterday that three suspects have been identified and one arrested in connection to the June 25 theft of designer handbags from Chanel in Tysons Galleria. According to FCPD Deputy Chief Greg Fried, the individuals are part of a “crew” that has been stealing from high-end retailers across multiple states, distinguished by their use of a fire extinguisher to provide cover from loss prevention officers while they grab the merchadise. The Chanel robbery lasted less than 15 seconds, but the suspects took over $60,000 worth of merchandise, Fried said. The FCPD initially estimated the value of the stolen goods as more than $100,000. A 24-year-old man was arrested in Pennsylvania on Aug. 7 with help from the U.S. Marshals. Currently in custody without bond and awaiting extradition, he has been charged with robbery, larceny with intent to sell, conspiracy to commit a felony, assault via a caustic substance, organized retail theft, destruction of property, and petit larceny. Detectives are searching for a 27-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man, both from Pennsylvania, who have been identified as suspects, and they’re still working to identify four other people believed to be involved. Separately, two people were arrested on July 19 after detectives received an alert for a vehicle “known to be driven by an organized retail theft crew” in the Tysons area, according to a press release. The 24-year-old and 19-year-old men from California are part of a four-person group nicknamed the “Air Pod crew” by the FCPD, which says they’ve been linked to approximately $170,000 worth of thefts from high-end boutique retailers in seven states. That includes about $35,000 from Fairfax County. “We call them the ‘Air Pod crew,’ because they come in and they work in conjunction with each other, using Air Pods to communicate with each other and to try to disguise what they’re doing,” Fried said, noting that both men were released on $2,500 bonds. Virginia ABC tightens security after larcenies Liquor stores across Fairfax County and other jurisdictions in the D.C. region have become frequent targets for larcenies in recent months. Four people, including a 27-year-old man from D.C. and three teens, were arrested in Alexandria in early July, but the FCPD is still looking to identify three other people in the same “crew.” Police believe the group is behind at least 15 ABC store robberies in Fairfax County since March 14, allegedly stealing “upwards” of $60,000 in alcohol. The FCPD says it has identified three other groups that have been targeting ABC stores since the beginning of July, including locations in Bailey’s Crossroads, Fairfax Station, Huntington, Annandale, Tysons and Dunn Loring. Police arrested a 26-year-old D.C. man on Aug. 2 who has been connected to a July 22 theft at the Leesburg Pike Plaza’s ABC store and a July 26 theft in Huntington. Two other unidentified individuals are wanted in those cases, according to the press release. Another group consists of four men, none of whom have been identified, and police are also looking for a man who has allegedly committed four ABC store larcenies solo, most recently this past Tuesday (Aug. 13) in Dunn Loring. Collectively, the ABC thefts in Fairfax County have resulted in the loss of $80,000 worth of alcohol that’s subsequently being illegally sold to individuals “on the streets,” according to Fried. “These crews typically go into the ABC stores and they steal liquor,” he said. “Some of the suspects, they go into the back room of the stores and steal the high-end liquor that’s there, or they grab stuff that they can get easily so they can make a quick getaway and get out of the store.” Virginia ABC Special Agent in Charge Barbara Storm says the agency has been implementing security changes at its stores in response to the thefts, including the addition of locks to limit access to stockrooms and camera “enhancements.” The state authority’s law enforcement bureau is also rolling out a “shoplifting safety training program” for store leaders and employees. “Our retail staff are being trained to gather usable suspect information and leads for law enforcement,” Storm said. “Virginia ABC values our partnership with Fairfax County and other regional law enforcement agencies in a continuing effort to deter and detect organized retail theft.” Retail theft on the rise, police say The FCPD has recorded an increase in retail theft or shoplifting in recent years, from 5,799 cases in 2022 to 8,156 cases last year, per its 2023 annual report. There have been 5,679 retail theft cases so far this year, a department spokesperson told FFXnow. As of 6 p.m. yesterday (Thursday), there have been 10,788 larcenies this year, a category that includes other types of property theft outside of retail cases according to the department’s crime mapping database. Fairfax County isn’t alone in seeing an uptick in larcenies. According to FBI data, there were more than 4.3 million larcenies reported by police nationwide in 2022, a surge that followed a sharp decline in 2020 and especially 2021 during the early COVID-19 pandemic. However, rates remain well below the peak of 7.3 million seen in 1990. At the press conference, Davis highlighted resources that the FCPD has devoted to retail theft, including the use of dedicated detectives and a team based out of the McLean District Police Station. The department made arrests in 77% of its retail theft cases last year, he said. The police chief also thanked affected businesses for their assistance and expressed support for body cameras for retail workers. Axon, the company that provides tasers and body-worn cameras to law enforcement agencies, including the FCPD, began marketing a “personal safety camera” to retailers earlier this year, though Davis said he’s not aware of any businesses in Fairfax County using the devices. “I do think it’s something that’s exciting,” Davis said. “…I do think it’s going to make a difference, not only with our ability to make arrests in a more timely manner, but the capacity for people to be held better accountable.” During the press conference, Davis suggested other parts of the county’s criminal justice system need to “catch up” with the FCPD in cracking down on retail theft, criticizing the “low bonds” imposed by the courts in some cases. “These folks are hitting the jail for a day or two before they attend a bond review hearing, and their bond is either eliminated or dramatically reduced and they’re back on the streets,” Davis said. “…This is the most often-committed crime here and elsewhere, and what we’re doing about it from a law enforcement perspective, I think, is consistent with the trends and patterns that we’re seeing. The other legs of the criminal justice stool, I would encourage to also take seriously these folks we’re bringing criminal charges against because there has to be a consequence associated with their criminal behaviors.” Pre-trial bond decisions are determined by a magistrate or judge, though prosecutors and defense attorneys can recommend an individual’s detention or release at a bond hearing. In cases where the most serious charge is a non-violent felony, judges have ordered cash bail in 8% of cases, detention in 24% and release in 67%, according to data from the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office that covers the period from Jan. 3, 2022 through March 29 of this year. The office didn’t return a request for comment by press time, but Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano has a policy barring prosecutors from requesting cash bonds. WHSV
By Madison McNamee Published: Aug. 5, 2024 at 7:15 PM EDT|Updated: Aug. 5, 2024 at 7:16 PM EDT RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) -Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Authority (ABC) saw more than 14,000 bottles stolen in the first six months of 2024, totaling about $800,000 lost. The problem is impacting areas across the commonwealth, and thieves are targeting stores in different ways. In the most extreme cases, people are going into shops and stealing $9,000 worth of booze at a time. In other cases, stores are just getting targeted frequently. Data from Virginia ABC shows from January to June, there were 3,754 total shoplifting incidents, with 14,326 total bottles taken and $808,371 total retail price losses. The items taken range in price from 99 cents all the way up to bottles worth more than $500. Virginia ABC says context is key, as the agency sold $695.2 million in the same time period, making the retail shrink for fiscal year 2024 0.35% of sales. The group also says working with law enforcement helped them charge one adult and three juveniles in Northern Virginia who were a big part of the recent increase in stolen items. A spokesperson for Virginia ABC says the group would load up carts and flee stores before police could get there. They ended up stealing more than $145,000 from 26 different stores. Data from the agency shows some expensive shoplifting incidents in Northern Virginia, where in Manassas, 228 bottles were taken at once, coming out to more than $7,000 worth of booze. In McLean and Woodbridge, thieves took more than $9,000 worth of alcohol in a day. It is why that specific location is now counter service only, where customers tell an employee what they want, rather than shopping around. Edwards says this new format has helped reduce the number of stolen items. Virginia ABC says two other stores in Portsmouth have the same format, and the agency is watching the effectiveness of it and also working on emphasizing staff interaction with customers, more frequent inventories, additional audits and enhancing camera systems as a way to deter thieves. A spokesperson for Virginia ABC says no product is worth risking the safety of team members and customers, and retail staff are trained to gather usable suspect information and leads for law enforcement. Copyright 2024 WWBT. All rights reserved. Tito's Handmade Vodka is top brand for 6th year Virginia Business - PUBLISHED AUGUST 31, 2023 BY COURTNEY MABEUS-BROWN Tito’s Handmade Vodka notched its sixth year as the commonwealth’s most popular liquor at Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority stores in fiscal 2023. According to VABC, the Austin, Texas-based craft vodka accounted for $72 million in sales in fiscal 2023, up $5.1 million over the prior year. Tito’s out-guzzled other spirits by a long shot; Hennessy VS cognac ranked No. 2 in sales at $44 million, Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 whiskey chased behind, ranking No. 3 at $30.1 million, followed by Patron Silver tequila, at $28.6 million, and Jim Beam straight bourbon whiskey, which accounted for $24 million in sales. Among the top 10 best-sellers, Jameson Irish whiskey rose to No. 6 and Maker’s Mark straight bourbon remained at No. 7. Crown Royal Canadian whiskey dropped to No. 8, Grey Goose vodka rose to No. 9 and Lunazul Blanco tequila joined the top 10, rising 10 spots to No. 10. Fireball whiskey fizzled, dropping to No. 14. The spirit, which has been among the state’s top 50 products, saw the year’s largest decline at 18.4%, with total sales dropping by $3.2 million. The best-sellers list, released Tuesday, follows a report of record revenues for ABC in fiscal 2023. The authority topped off at $1.47 billion in gross revenues last year, up $54.3 million over the previous fiscal year. Among Virginia’s top-selling categories for fiscal 2023, vodka led at 1.64 million cases sold, followed by tequila at 885,876 cases, an 18.4% increase from the previous year. Tequila, which grew from an 11.8% to 13.7% market share, shot past straight bourbon whiskey, which accounted for 780,777 cases in fiscal 2023, followed by cordials/liqueurs at 514,517 cases and rum at 470,292 cases. The fastest-growing categories were moonshine at 25.6%, tequila at 18.4%, specialty drinks (such as gift sets) at 14.8%, domestic ready-to-drink cocktails at 10.1% and straight rye whiskey at 9.8%. The biggest declines were seen in Cognacs/Armagnacs at 14.6%, and Canadian whiskey at 10%. Sloe gin grew 64% but is Virginia ABC’s smallest category, with only 141 cases sold. Sales of Virginia-distilled spirits increased to $24.1 million in sales, with more than 1 million bottles sold. Top sellers in that category included Bowman Brothers Virginia straight bourbon, at $1.6 million, Cirrus Vodka at $1.2 million, John J. Bowman Virginia straight bourbon, with $841,852 in sales, Isaac Bowman port finish whiskey at $623,848 and Virginia Highlands War Horn Whiskey, which accounted for $446,898. Virginia ABC added four stores in fiscal 2023, bringing its total to 399. Here are the top five stores by gallons sold:
August 30, 2023
News Release Contact:Virginia ABC Communications - (804) 213-4413 Email: [email protected] Virginia ABC Adjusting Store HoursAll stores to close at 6 p.m. on Labor Day The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) will adjust its store hours effective September 1. Virginia ABC reviews store hours annually as part of its budget process. The decision on closing times is driven by an analysis of store sales during the last two hours of the day.
These changes to retail store hours are part of the authority’s focus on efficiency opportunities while maintaining customer service as a top priority. Customers can visit Virginia ABC’s website at http://www.abc.virginia.gov to search for stores, determine the availability of products at any retail location and order spirits online for in-store or curbside pickup or home delivery in select areas. Virginia ABC encourages customers to make mindful choices about alcohol during all of life’s celebrations. Resources are available at https://www.abc.virginia.gov/sip-responsibly. |
Details
Archives
July 2024
Categories
All
|