Police arrest 30, recover thousands in stolen goods during retail blitz in Saskatoon

Saskatoon police say 30 people were arrested and thousands of dollars in stolen goods were seized during a retail blitz in December.

The operation called project shield was conducted over six days at predetermined retail locations across the city, Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) said in a news release Thursday.

SPS says its community mobilization, alternative response and bike units worked with in-store loss prevention officers and private security to target prolific and violent offenders.

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According to police, 15 of those arrested were repeat offenders and 10 were considered violent. A total of 42 charges were laid and more than $2,600 in stolen merchandise was recovered.

“During the blitz, information was also released about advancements in ongoing investigations occurring in both Edmonton and Saskatoon as a direct result of arrests made during project shield," SPS said.

Police are asking the public to report suspicious activity in retail spaces.