At a Lynnwood thrift store, rising shoplifting mirrors larger retail crime surge

EVERETT — At Bella’s Voice Thrift Store, a nonprofit secondhand shop benefiting animal welfare causes, shoplifting isn’t an occasional nuisance — it’s a daily battle.

Staff estimate five to 10 thefts a day, costing the Lynnwood store about $300 daily — money that would otherwise fund a pet food bank and low-income veterinary aid.

“It’s a big concern of ours,” said Executive Director Jordan Hoffman-Nelson.“But we do have a lot of compassion … a lot of people that steal from us are struggling.”

Bella’s Voice is not alone. In Lynnwood, shoplifting arrests are surging — more than anywhere else in Snohomish County.

In 2015, Lynnwood police made 166 shoplifting arrests. By 2024, that number had skyrocketed to 1,272 — a 666% increase, according to department data.

Efforts by Lynnwood police and across the state show promise. For now, stores like Bella’s Voice do the best they can to combat rising losses.

‘I can’t watch the cameras all the time.’

The loss has changed how the store operates. Employees are trained not to confront thieves, staying 6 feet away for their own safety. They monitor cameras when possible and write down license plates to report to police. Still, thefts are constant — from hidden clothing and switched price tags to handfuls of merchandise rushed into getaway cars.

“I can’t watch the cameras all the time,” Hoffman-Nelson said.

Hoffman-Nelson estimates the store calls the Lynnwood Police Department three to five times a month at minimum. When Bella’s Voice opened at its previous Lynnwood location in 2014, they rarely called police at all, she said — a reflection of how much shoplifting has worsened over the past decade. She also noticed an exponential increase in thefts after the pandemic when stores began reopening to the public.

Morale among staff has suffered, Hoffman-Nelson said. Some days, five people steal at once. Jewelry tags are found tossed on the floor and customers sometimes walk out wearing thrifted clothing without paying.

The store has also experienced more aggressive incidents. In one case, Hoffman-Nelson said, a thief smashed a jewelry case during a break-in after hours, forcing the nonprofit to reconsider how it secured valuable items.

They are a small business — this is their only store — and Hoffman-Nelson said people often don’t realize it’s not part of a chain because it’s housed in a large converted Bartell’s store.

“It’s exhausting for staff,” Hoffman-Nelson said. “And some employees really take it to heart.”

Despite the challenges, Bella’s Voice has no plans to leave Lynnwood, where it’s been part of the community since 2014.

Retail crime surges across Lynnwood

In Lynnwood, thefts often happen in plain sight. Two weeks ago, on March 29, police arrested 17 people during a retail theft patrol at Fred Meyer on 44th Avenue West, a known hotspot. Shoppers sometimes walk out with carts full of merchandise without even trying to conceal the goods, police said.

“The amount of people that are shoplifting is pretty high,” said Joe Dickinson, spokesperson for the Lynnwood Police Department. “A lot of folks won’t go to those stores at night because of what’s been occurring.”

Attorney Yelena Stock said Lynnwood, particularly around Alderwood Mall, is a major hotspot, “That whole area glows, in terms of retail theft numbers.”

Big-box stores like Lowe’s, Target and Walmart — what she called “anchor stores” — are also magnets for theft. While Lynnwood tops the list for retail theft in Snohomish County, she said the second-highest rates she sees are from shopping areas in Everett.

Dickinson said Lynnwood police have increased their partnership with retailers in recent years, conducting regular emphasis patrols and encouraging businesses to report incidents, even when the thefts are small.

Lynnwood’s struggles mirror a statewide surge. Washington ranked as the most affected state by retail crime nationwide, according to a 2024 Washington Retail Association article.

Diversion program seeks to address root causes

While local police and prosecutors are working to adapt, the Washington Organized Retail Crime Association is spearheading a new pilot program that appears to show promising results.

Funded by a $1 million state grant, the Washington Organized Retail Crime Pilot Program launched late last year in King, Snohomish and Spokane counties. The program aims to coordinate responses to organized retail theft, support diversion efforts and build cases against prolific offenders.

It helps pay for overtime for Lynnwood police officers assigned to retail theft emphasis patrols. It also funds Stock’s diversion work and helps create direct communication lines between law enforcement, retailers and service providers.

At the local level, Stock leads a prosecutor diversion program in Lynnwood, identifying low-level retail theft cases for possible treatment and services instead of jail. The diversion program focuses on shoplifting misdemeanor cases that have already been filed.

“This includes a lot of cases,” Stock said. “We have the Alderwood Mall here … and it’s ripe for retail theft.”

Since January, Stock has flagged 894 cases, offering diversion options to about 170 defendants. Around 70 agreed to participate, often working with the LEAD program to address substance use or behavioral health needs.

“Just because someone has a lot of history does not mean they are a prolific offender,” Stock said. “It could mean they are homeless, they are addicted to drugs or alcohol, and are in need of services.”

Participants who successfully engage with LEAD have their charges dismissed. Those who don’t are prosecuted as normal.

Stock emphasized that organized retail theft rings and individuals with serious violent histories do not qualify for the program.

The early signs are promising, with many participants making appointments with case managers and engaging in substance abuse treatment programs, Stock said. But that change won’t happen overnight, and the fruit of her labor will take a long time to see.

Stock said resource limitations are a constant challenge.

“Prosecutors and police are lacking some resources to be able to address it properly,” she said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean jail — we know some of the driving forces behind theft, but we don’t have enough resources to tackle them.”

However, the pilot program is only funded until June. But WAORCA plans to ask the state Legislature for renewed funding during the 2026 legislative session.

Dan Floyd, spokesperson for WAORCA, said that while local efforts are making a difference, retail theft remains a major resource issue across Washington.

“Bringing people together to talk about the policy changes that may need to occur and how we fund this is critical to the conversation,” Floyd said.

Floyd said the gap between the scale of the retail theft problem and available staffing or services is growing.

“Law enforcement staffing shortages, a lack of prosecutors, not enough diversion programs — it’s all part of why these crimes continue at such a high rate,” he said. “It needs to be funded.”

WAORCA’s broader goal is not just enforcement, Floyd said, but also long-term prevention — a strategy that requires sustained community partnerships, stronger staffing and more emphasis on rehabilitation programs like LEAD.

At Bella’s Voice, the impact of theft is felt daily.

The nonprofit recently had to shut down its fitting rooms to curb losses, even though the rooms had self-locking doors and required shoppers to check bags at the front. They added long vertical poles to shopping carts that don’t fit out of the store’s doors so thieves can’t flee with a full cart of goods, or take the cart itself.

“It was easier to close them down and deal with some upset customers,” Hoffman-Nelson said. “Than have the loss, or put unnecessary pressure on staff.”

Some losses are recoverable — moving higher-value jewelry online, implementing more security procedures — but others are not.

Still, Hoffman-Nelson said, the store’s mission remains the same.

“It’s hard sometimes,” she said. “But we’re here for the animals. And we’re here for this community.”

Aspen Anderson: 425-339-3192; aspen.anderson@heraldnet.com; X: @aspenwanderson.