Last week we learned that Walmart was closing its two remaining stores in Portland. We also learned that Mayor Ted Wheeler had turned down Nike’s request for help dealing with constant shoplifting at their currently closed store in northeast Portland. Nike had requested they be allowed to hire off duty officers to patrol the area and Wheeler said he couldn’t allow that because the city barely has enough officers to cover emergency calls as it is.

Over the weekend the Portland PD made a show of an anti-shoplifting “blitz” which was intended to show they are taking it seriously.

Portland Police conducted their second retail theft “blitz” mission of the year at the Gateway and 205 malls in northeast Portland on Sunday.

The goal was to curb shoplifting at businesses in the area but there were also arrests for outstanding warrants, car thefts, and more…

Jordan Zaitz is on Portland Police’s Neighborhood Response Team. She said shoplifting can be connected to other crimes…

“We’re having big retailers leave,” Zaitz said. “I mean to have Walmart close two of its stores is a really big deal. The people in those neighborhoods, that’s where they shop.”

Jordan Zaitz admitted that police had been letting the thieves get away with it for a long time.

This is the third shoplifting sting near Mall 205 over the last few months. Zaitz said it speaks to improved staffing within the bureau.

“For a long time we kind of let everyone get away with it, we just didn’t have the resources to actually touch on it, so now it’s good to actually be able to arrest people and hold them accountable, and hopefully, you know, get them help as they need,” she said.

It’s not just Nike and Walmart who are impacted. Friday a consignment store announced they were giving up after 19 shoplifting incidents in one year.

Over the past year, crooks have hit Consign Couture’s Washington Square location 19 times, stealing more than $56,000 dollars in merchandise, according to the owner.

After a year in business at Washington Square, Young plans to close her shop at the end of March. She’s not renewing her lease. Consign Couture can’t absorb the losses or pay for security in the same way big retailers can, she said…

“Why would I want to do this anymore?” asked Young, standing in her Washington Square store. “There’s not a lot of joy in it when you’ve worked this hard for this long and there’s a major pervasive problem that I don’t know how to handle.”

Here’s store security video of a pair of thieves stealing a handbag by hiding it in a stroller under a blanket.

A store at Washington Square mall is closing after a rash of shoplifting incidents. Criminals hit the upscale consignment store 19 times, stealing more than $56,000 in luxury bags, clothing and shoes over the past year. https://t.co/Iu2H6A0bPn pic.twitter.com/1ZmNgWJPxJ

— Kyle Iboshi (@KyleIboshi) March 4, 2023

Color me shocked that allowing thieves to run rampant for “a long time” results in businesses big and small who close their doors permanently. The police show of force this weekend is a nice gesture but it’s too little, too late for that business owner and for Walmart. If Portland wants to keep the retailers it has left, it needs to do more to get this problem under control and not give shoplifters a pass for months or years at a time.

Finally, there are some videos circulating on Twitter today which allegedly come from Portland though they may be a year or two old given that most people are wearing masks. Still, these clips show it is possible to say no to shoplifters even without the police on hand.

Shoplifter gets a taste of her own medicine pic.twitter.com/X87OsxMPKJ

— E (@ElijahSchaffer) March 6, 2023

This appears to be the same woman working for the same store. The amount of stuff the woman in the white jacket was stealing is amazing. And still she sees herself as a victim here.

This video captures absurdity of America’s present day shoplifting epidemic and harm caused by law enforcement’s nonresponsiveness to theft. This woman (and a large part of society) sees herself as a victim in this situation as opposed to a person being given a tremendous break. pic.twitter.com/Qoi3lVCjFx

— Charles Adams (@bigangrylaw) March 6, 2023

There are, of course, loads of people in the comments to these clips arguing that it’s pathetic to worry about people stealing small items from a major retailer. I’d bet this woman had $300-$500 worth of stolen goods. Her friend probably had some too. Multiply that by several times a day every day of the year and you’re talking about hundred of thousands of dollars in losses. Those who say it doesn’t matter should explain it to Nike and Walmart, two major retailers who seem to believe it’s the difference between staying open and shutting the doors.