WashCo. DA videotaped 2 alleged retail thefts he witnessed in past 10 months

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton said he's seen with his own eyes the impact of retail theft in the region he serves. In fact, he has even videotaped two alleged thefts that happened while he was shopping with his family in the last 10 months.

That's all the more reason why Barton is celebrating the announcement from the DA's office that it has secured more than $1.5 million in an Oregon state grant to help combat retail theft.

"If I'm seeing it happen like that and I know it's happening far more than that, and all the investigators, police officers, and stores I speak to tell me how rampant this is, we need to get a handle on it," Barton told KOIN 6 News.

This comes as communities like Hillsboro have seen an increase in organized retail theft in the past few years, Hillsboro Police Chief Jim Coleman said in a statement.

The grant funding for $1,545,487 represents the largest award of its kind in Oregon for the Organized Retail Theft Grant Program, the DA's office said.

The grant will be used to enhance investigative and prosecutorial efforts to help stop shoplifters and retail theft groups from targeting Washington County businesses. It will also be used to increase law enforcement and prosecutors' joint retail theft missions and expand the county's ability to lodge people who have been arrested. Eligible small and medium businesses will also receive some funding to help upgrade their security and surveillance systems.

Barton told KOIN 6 News he doesn't shop that often and doesn't enjoy it. This makes it all the more surprising the frequency with which he's stumbled upon apparent thefts happening at stores while he was out with his family.

"In the last 10 months, I've personally witnessed two retail theft incidents where someone has pushed out a cart full of merchandise. And I've chased after them and videotaped it," he said.

The first incident happened in the fall of last year while taking one of his children clothes shopping at Tilly's in Tualatin. The second happened at a Sherwood Target just three weeks ago. In both cases, Barton forwarded the video footage to the relevant police departments. He said neither of the suspects had been apprehended yet.

The Tualatin Police Department shared with KOIN 6 News the footage that Barton videotaped from Tilly's.

"I saw this guy with an armful of merchandise. And I thought, 'That doesn't look right.' So I took my phone out because I knew what was about to happen," Barton said. "And sure enough, he just ran out the door and I chased after him."

In the video from the Tilly's incident, the man appears to be giggling as he carries a bunch of loose clothes in his arms as a staff member tries to stop him. Once outside, his shorts fall down, exposing his bare rear end. But he quickly pulls them back up again as he runs down the sidewalk. Then the man gets into a van. When the camera pans to the license plate, the man can be seen giving what appears to be the middle finger out the window to Barton as he drives off.

"I just felt that this was happening right in front of me, I needed to do something about it. And then I came back into the store and called 911 and a police officer responded right away, a Tualatin police officer, within minutes," Barton recalled. "And I let him know absolutely that's the case that my office would prosecute if they were able to figure out who it was."

For the second incident at the Sherwood Target, the Sherwood Police Department said they were unable to share the Barton-filmed footage with KOIN 6 following our inquiry, as they told us it pertained to an active investigation. However, Barton described what happened as his wife brought to his attention a man running out the door with a "cart full of Pampers diapers" he allegedly hadn't purchased.

"So same deal, I just ran out there myself and videotaped what I could. And he wasn't happy I was videotaping him. He called me a 'snitch' on the videotape. But I came back in, and of course, called the police and et cetera," Barton said.

The $1.5 million grant to combat retail theft will include an expansion of a currently ongoing shoplifting deterrence campaign by the DA's office, allowing eligible area businesses to receive "free shoplifting and theft warning signs."

To learn more about the program and request a sign, visit the Washington County DA's Office website.