Wisconsin Assembly passes bill to deter flash mob retail thefts

A new proposal aims to deter flash mobs who storm into a store and steal as much as they can, as fast as they can.Surveillance footage from 2019 showed 10 people rushing the North Face store at Pleasant Prairie Premium Outlets, and in seconds, running out with $30,000 in merchandise.The president of the Milwaukee Police Association said investigations like that tie up precious resources and usually don’t end in major charges.”When these people are exiting the store, you only catch maybe one of them, and they only have $200 worth of goods on them, that’s really is a city ticket, so they would be cited and released,” Andrew Wagner said.But a new bill heading to the state Senate would make it so anyone convicted of a mob-style theft may be punished according to the total value of what the entire group stole.Supporters such as the Milwaukee Police Association and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said it sends “a clear message” to people “to think twice” about “mob-style retail theft.”But critics said laws like this already exist.”Under current law, prosecutors and law enforcement can arrest people using a party to a crime statute which, I’ve used this before in my past as an assistant district attorney, which allows us basically to charge people who have collaborated in the commission of a crime with that crime itself,” State Rep. Tip McGuire said.”The district attorneys could be doing those things. The fact is, though, they aren’t, and when we start investigating property crimes and go party to that crime, what you see is district attorneys always dropping those down to city ticket level. This law really puts all those same tools in one spot,” Wagner said. Lawmakers are also considering another bill that would regulate high-volume online sellers who may be selling stolen goods.

A new proposal aims to deter flash mobs who storm into a store and steal as much as they can, as fast as they can.

Surveillance footage from 2019 showed 10 people rushing the North Face store at Pleasant Prairie Premium Outlets, and in seconds, running out with $30,000 in merchandise.

The president of the Milwaukee Police Association said investigations like that tie up precious resources and usually don’t end in major charges.

“When these people are exiting the store, you only catch maybe one of them, and they only have $200 worth of goods on them, that’s really is a city ticket, so they would be cited and released,” Andrew Wagner said.

But a new bill heading to the state Senate would make it so anyone convicted of a mob-style theft may be punished according to the total value of what the entire group stole.

Supporters such as the Milwaukee Police Association and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said it sends “a clear message” to people “to think twice” about “mob-style retail theft.”

But critics said laws like this already exist.

“Under current law, prosecutors and law enforcement can arrest people using a party to a crime statute which, I’ve used this before in my past as an assistant district attorney, which allows us basically to charge people who have collaborated in the commission of a crime with that crime itself,” State Rep. Tip McGuire said.

“The district attorneys could be doing those things. The fact is, though, they aren’t, and when we start investigating property crimes and go party to that crime, what you see is district attorneys always dropping those down to city ticket level. This law really puts all those same tools in one spot,” Wagner said.

Lawmakers are also considering another bill that would regulate high-volume online sellers who may be selling stolen goods.

https://www.wisn.com/article/assembly-passes-bill-to-deter-flash-mob-retail-thefts/38956895