The Polk County Sheriff's Office arrested 37 people during an operation to crackdown on retail theft.
Retail Crime Task Force detectives made the arrests from Thursday to Sunday at Polk County stores, including Lowes, Bealls, Publix, Target, and Walmart. Detectives worked in retail stores and parking lots in order to disrupt and apprehend shoplifters.
Of the 37 suspects arrested, 26 were caught shoplifting, according to the sheriff's office. After selecting and concealing the merchandise, the suspects (22 adults and 4 juveniles) exited the businesses without purchasing the items.
Officials said four other people were arrested on counterfeiting charges and seven others are facing charges on non-theft related offenses. Of the 37 suspects arrested, 26 have criminal histories, for a total of 240 previous charges.
"Retail theft is a serious problem in Florida," said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd in response to the arrests. "Our partnerships with retail loss prevention personnel make it possible to arrest the thieves who enter our stories and steal merchandise every day. Retail theft doesn’t just hurt retailers – it affects everyone, and we will continue to work hard to make sure these suspects are held accountable."