By Bay City News.
The Palo Alto Police Department revealed this week that it will receive nearly $5.2 million from state coffers to boost its efforts against organized retail theft.
This is part of the $270 million statewide effort announced by the Board of State and Community Corrections on Thursday, police said in a news release.
The $5,176,812 grant will increase patrols in high-density commercial areas such as the Stanford Shopping Center and downtown Palo Alto over the next three years, according to police.
“Some of these additional patrols will be carried out in the form of covert operations. “Officers will also be able to dedicate more resources to combating auto theft, as organized retail theft suspects often use stolen vehicles while committing their crimes,” Palo Alto police said.
The grant will also allow the Police Department to install new technology that will allow officers to remotely place a GPS tag on a suspicious vehicle, allowing officers to monitor its location if the driver flees from authorities.
“We are grateful for the generous support from the state and look forward to using the funds to improve community safety here in Palo Alto,” Police Chief Andrew Binder said in a statement.
“We are also deeply grateful for our continued partnership with our retail community and the support we receive from the Chamber of Commerce, Stanford Mall and District Attorney Rosen,” he added.
Palo Alto police will apply to the city for approval to receive the grant and proceed with the purchase of the patrol technology in the coming weeks, officials said.
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