Orange County DA officials conduct store walk at Galleria Mall ahead of Black Friday
Middletown. The walk was part of the office’s effort to address retail crime.
| 19 Nov 2023 | 11:22
On Thursday, November 16, Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler, along with his senior staff and assistant district attorneys, conducted a store walk at the Galleria Mall in Middletown to meet with stakeholders and discuss issues related to retail crime. According to Hoovler, the purpose of these walks is to “prevent, mitigate and prosecute retail theft in Orange County.”
The initiative is part of the office’s education and awareness campaign in advance of the holiday season. As previously reported, the district attorney’s office has joined with the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA), the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), and the Orange County Chamber of Commerce to promote the National Store Walk Month initiative, which is meant to open a dialogue and cooperation between local law enforcement and community retailers in an effort to reduce retail crime.
District Attorney Hoovler has designated Chief Investigator Rudolph Simmons, Investigator Darrin Fulton and Assistant District Attorney Daniel Steyskal to lead Orange County’s participation, working with community retailers to exchange insights, foster a mutual understanding, and collaboratively develop “retail crime mitigation strategies.”
According to the announcement, retail theft collectively costs communities billions annually, undermines local economies and threatens the viability of storefronts in neighborhoods across the country. National Store Walk Month aims to address these concerns.
The DA’s Office welcomes all local retailers and prosecutors to participate in National Store Walk Month.
“We need proactive cooperation amongst law enforcement, retailers and the community to effectively tackle retail crime,” said District Attorney Hoovler. “My office has committed a team to address this growing concern and we are glad to work collaboratively to address the issue. Any retailer who would like a security survey or packet on retail theft prosecution should contact my office. Let’s make this holiday season a safe and prosperous one, for shoppers and store owners alike.”