Organized Retail Theft Reporting
The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting local businesses, employees, and shoppers from the growing threat of organized retail theft. Increasingly, retail theft is not the work of isolated individuals but of organized crews and teams who steal in a coordinated manner, travel between stores, and operate across city and county lines to resell stolen merchandise for profit.
Why We Target Theft Crews
Because these crews target many locations and cross jurisdictional boundaries, a single incident at one store rarely tells the whole story. A theft that looks minor on its own is often one piece of a much larger pattern carried out by repeat offenders working together.
By gathering reports from Loss Prevention Officers throughout the county, the District Attorney’s Office can identify repeat offenders and organized crews, connect related incidents that might otherwise appear unrelated, and follow up with the police departments that have taken these reports. This coordinated approach allows us to build stronger cases against the people and groups driving organized retail theft, rather than treating each incident in isolation.
Who Should Use This Report
This reporting tool is intended for Loss Prevention Officers and authorized retail security personnel. To preserve the integrity of the information collected, access is limited to verified retail loss prevention staff.
How to Request Access
To request access to the Retail Theft Report, send an email to retailtheft@sandiegoda.gov. You must send your request from a work email address whose domain is tied to your retail employer — for example, name@walmart.com. Requests sent from personal email accounts (such as Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook) cannot be verified and will not be granted access.
Requirements to Submit a Report
Before submitting a report, please make sure you meet the following requirements:
- You must have already filed a police report with your local police department for the incident you are reporting.
- You must request and submit using an email address with a domain tied to your retail store or employer (for example, name@walmart.com).
Submitting a Report
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File a police report with your local police department, if you have not already done so, and keep your report or case number for reference.
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Email retailtheft@sandiegoda.gov from your retail employer email address to request access.
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Once your access is verified, click here to submit your retail theft report online. Upon submission, you will receive a tracking number for your records. Please note that a tracking number does not confirm that an investigation has begun.