Council to discuss mandatory minimum jail terms for repeat retail theft
By Dan Thesman on Tuesday, February 6th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
COLLEGE PLACE – The College Place City Council meets at 5:30 p.m. tonight (Tuesday) for a workshop. The council will discuss establishing mandatory minimum jail terms for repeat retail theft.
City Attorney Rea Culwell said most misdemeanor thefts occurring in College Place are thefts from Walmart. When an offender is trespassed from Walmart then returns and commits another crime, that is a felony which is sent to the Walla Walla County Prosecutor’s Office. However, Culwell said since Prosecuting Attorney Gabe Acosta has been elected, he has requested the College Place Police Department not refer Walmart burglary cases where the amount of the theft is $750 less due to lack of resources to prosecute such cases. Culwell said she sees offenders who have multiple charges and convictions from stealing from Walmart. All have been trespassed from Walmart which usually means they cannot enter any of Walmart’s stores for 99 years.
Due to the recent increase in thefts and attempted thefts from Walmart, Culwell said offenders are getting more sophisticated in how they steal from Walmart, including distracting loss prevention staff so that others can steal and having multiple individuals steal at the same time.
Culwell said one option the city can take is to establish mandatory minimum jail terms for those who repeatedly steal, a step that has been taken by the city of Marysville, Washington. Culwell adds city staff could recommend that mandatory minimums be converted to community service in whole or in part. The meeting in city hall will also be streamed on the city’s YouTube channel.
