September 5, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MAJOR CHANGES IN THE PROSECUTION OF SUSPECTED SHOPLIFTERS

Albuquerque, NM –

The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s office will be prosecuting ALL shoplifting cases, including misdemeanor cases. The new changes went into effect September 1, 2023. Formerly, many of those cases were being prosecuted by law enforcement officers. Now, attorneys from the DA’s office handle ALL of them.

“Residents of Bernalillo County have made it clear, they have had enough. People should be able to go to the store without being afraid. Business owners are also fed up. We think these new changes will hold repeat shoplifters accountable,” said Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman.

“It will also free up law enforcement officers to patrol the streets instead of spending hours in the courtroom,” Bregman said.

BACKGROUND:

Currently, 40 to 70 misdemeanor shoplifting cases go through the courts each month.
A misdemeanor case is someone shoplifting under $500 worth of merchandise.
In June, the new Organized Retail Crime law went into effect. Now, prosecutors can combine and consolidate cases that occur within 90 days of each other.
In the past, people who had been arrested and released from custody over and over to shoplift again, may now be charged with a felony.

“Public safety, the economy and quality of life are both put at risk by the crime of shoplifting. That’s exactly why I established the Organized Crime Commission and the Business Advisory Council on Crime Reduction,” said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. “Making sure that DA Bregman and his office have a role in all shoplifting cases will help us more effectively combat this challenge and make sure the law is consistently being enforced. In addition, it removes the burden of prosecuting the cases from law enforcement, freeing them up to do other critical public safety work.”