Portland authorities cracking down on retail theft over Thanksgiving weekend

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- A crackdown on retail theft is coming to Multnomah County this weekend.

Law enforcement in the area is dedicating more officers and deputies to addressing theft from local businesses.

Portland police have done more than 20 retail theft missions this year, but even Chief Bob Day admits those have focused on the big box corporate retailers.

When asked if police would offer the same support to small businesses, Day said he was "very interested in making that connection with small businesses working with our folks to show that same support, the challenge would be is we work closely with loss prevention and if a small business doesn't have a loss prevention team that makes it more tricky."

An extra 39 officers and deputies from police departments from Gresham, Portland and the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office will be working Friday through Sunday this weekend.

"Retail theft affects all of our community businesses, including large and small businesses," said Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O'Donnell.

"There's a combination strategy of being visible, but also being hidden so we can make the arrest," Day added.

Day reports retail theft has increased by 80% this year, but arrests have increased by 130% because of retail theft missions like this.

At Metro Boutique on Hawthorne, theft has hit them and their neighbors hard.

"It's a constant challenge. We find empty hangers all over the store. We have people go into the fitting rooms and just run out on us," said Vanessa Weseman, who says there have been six thefts at the store in the last month.

Despite that, Weseman says the preventive patrols corporate stores will likely see this weekend have been rare in her neighborhood.

Instead, businesses are grouping together to hire private security and sharing information with each other on social media.

"We're a small, family-run shop. We're not a Wal-Mart or something. So yeah, it cuts deep and it's sad," Weseman said. "It's hard to be everywhere at once but we'd appreciate them responding."

Many corporate retailers have been vocal about an increase in retail theft, but a report earlier this month from the William Blair firm threw doubt on that, saying their analysis of nine big box retailers found the percentage of lost sales has remained constant for years, and some may have been using it as an excuse to hide other issues.