SEATTLE — Seattle retailers tell KIRO 7 they are overwhelmed with shoplifters and underwhelmed by the city’s response.
The Seattle City Attorney’s Office says it does not file cases if they are under a “nominal” dollar amount.
The owner of Outdoor Emporium in SODO says his employees have called 911 more than 200 times this year, but only one shoplifting case has been prosecuted.
Uwajimaya leads Seattle retailers when it comes to reporting shoplifters. The store in Seattle’s Chinatown International District has reported at least 599 incidents to police over a 19-month period.
Seattle Police Sergeant Sean Whitcomb told KIRO 7, “We are data driven. If there's crime that is not being reported to us, we really don't know that it's happening."
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