SANTA ANA, Calif. – Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer issued the following statement regarding the rash of smash-and-grab robberies at retail locations in Southern California:

No one mentioned today at the news conference held by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is how we got here in the first place. It is the inept and lax policies championed by the state Legislature and other elected officials like Mayor Bass and Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon that has led to decriminalization, decarceration and zero bail, which has created this unrest and emboldened these organized crews not only in Los Angeles but permeates throughout Southern California.

I am encouraged by today’s announcement of the regional task force and Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna’s pledge to work with whomever law enforcement needs to in order to hold those accountable for these violent acts. In Orange County, we have a team of deputy district attorneys assigned to prosecute retail thefts and we have been collaborating with other law enforcements agencies.

I have been warning about what is happening now for decades – from my time in the state Legislature to now as the District Attorney in Orange County. Los Angeles is responsible for what is happening in Los Angeles and we are now seeing the results of those who supported these failed policies.

We cannot let this happen in Orange County. These robberies are killing the tax base and are forcing stores to close. No one is going to want to shop anymore. Retail as we know it will soon be over unless we severely punish those who are committing these crimes.