College Place police crackdown on thieves caught stealing from Home Depot

COLLEGE PLACE, Wash. — Petty crime has risen dramatically since the pandemic began and some people have grown confident in their ability to get away with stealing. Such thefts have been rampant at the Home Depot in College Place, where local police made 21 arrests in less than two weeks while conducting an emphasis project at the home improvement megastore.

According to a release from the College Place Police Department, officers have formed a partnership with Home Depot to build strategies that reduce thefts and increase arrests. This collaboration was developed in connection with management from local and regional Home Depot locations.

Not only were theft reduction forms planned, but loss prevention experts were instilled to help with theft arrests. Additional video surveillance capabilities were instituted so that thieves can be prosecuted for their crimes.

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College Place police officers conducted emphasis patrols at The Home Depot between April 29 and May 8, 2022. Their efforts resulted in 19 arrests for theft to the third degree and two more arrests for second-degree theft, which is upgraded to a class C felony.

Theft of property valued at $750 or less is considered theft to the third degree, which is a gross misdemeanor. Thefts of property valued between $751 and $5,000 constitute theft to the second degree, which reaches a low-level felony charge.

While the emphasis has concluded, the partnership between regional Home Depot locations and the College Place Police Department will continue moving forward.

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