Woodstock Police conduct organized retail crime ‘blitz’

Woodstock Police arrested six people during a “National Organized Retail Crime Blitz” the department conducted alongside the Spring Grove Police Department on May 29 and 30, according to a Woodstock Police Department news release issued in early June.

Police said in the release that the blitz “was a nationwide initiative with the goal of disrupting and dismantling local ORC networks by coordinating focused enforcement operations across the country.”

Police said they issued five felony charges, including one charge of theft more than $500, one charge of retail theft with prior convictions, one charge of burglary and two charges of possessing a controlled substance, according to the release.

Police also issued seven misdemeanor charges, including four charges of retail theft, two charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and one charge of possessing a theft detection device remover.

Police also issued two citations, one for driving with a suspended registration and one for driving without insurance, according to the release.

Police said law enforcement and several retailers collaborated, including Jewel, Walgreens, Farm and Fleet, Walmart, Menards and Kohl’s.