MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy announced Tuesday 12 more people have been charged in recent burglaries as part of the ongoing Operation Broken Bottles.
“This situation is intolerable,” said Mulroy about the recent rash of crimes. Mulroy said the recent smash-and-grabs are part of an organized retail crime ring.
The Memphis Police Department said Operation Broken Bottles is aimed as cracking down on the break-ins and crimes across the city at various liquor stores, clothing outlets, cell phone retailers, and smoke shops.
At the end of June, MPD announced 15 people had been arrested. The D.A. said those suspects were indicted, and these most recent charges bring the total number of suspects facing prosecution to 27. Mulroy said 18 remain in custody, and three of those charged have not been arrested and now have outstanding warrants.
“We are taking these smash and grab jobs seriously,” said Mulroy during Tuesday’s news conference. “We are going to vigorously prosecute them. The message should be clear. If you commit these crimes, you will be prosecuted and you will go to prison."
“One of the things that I like to say about organized retail crime, it is an absolute epidemic,” said Jonathan McGraw with the Tennessee Organized Retail Crime Alliance. “It is on an epidemic level. It is impacting billions and billions of dollars that are causing just massive losses to retailers."
Mulroy also urged business owners to connect any security cameras they have with Memphis Police’s network of cameras across the city as part of an effort to reduce the crime.