RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA — Between June 6, 2026, and June 20, 2026, multiple law enforcement agencies conducted a targeted retail theft operation, designated Operation Smash & Grab, within the shopping corridors of Rancho Cucamonga. The participating agencies included the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Gangs/Narcotics Division, the Rancho Cucamonga Station, the San Bernardino County Probation Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the California Highway Patrol, and the San Bernardino Police Department.
During the two-week operation, investigators made three misdemeanor arrests and four felony arrests. Law enforcement personnel also recovered stolen property valued at $1,597.
The initiative is part of an ongoing strategy established in November 2023 by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department to address retail thefts, including coordinated incidents involving robberies, burglaries, shelf sweeps, and vandalism. Operation Smash & Grab specifically directs resources toward shopping districts in Rancho Cucamonga, Apple Valley, Hesperia, Victorville, and Chino Hills to disrupt organized retail theft groups using both conventional and non-conventional investigative tactics.
Funding for the expanded law enforcement presence is provided by the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, which allocated resources for county-wide crime suppression to address quality-of-life issues. Additionally, three of the arrests made during this operation qualified for enhanced legal measures under Proposition 36, “The Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act.” Passed by California voters on November 5, 2024, and effective as of December 18, 2024, the legislation amended previous provisions under Proposition 47, introducing penal codes that allow for enhanced sentencing and restrictions on citation releases prior to court appearances.’
