SARASOTA, Fla. – A two-day tactical operation targeting holiday shoplifters in one of Sarasota’s busiest retail corridors resulted in nearly a dozen arrests and shed light on a group of suspects with extensive criminal histories.
Between December 18 and 19, 2025, units from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) saturated the shopping districts along Bee Ridge Road and Cattlemen Road. The crackdown involved a collaboration between the agency’s Tactical Unit, Intelligence Unit, and Criminal Investigations Section.
Law enforcement agencies often see a spike in property crimes as foot traffic increases during the peak of the holiday shopping season. The SCSO launched this specific detail with the goal of identifying and disrupting theft rings before they could exit stores with merchandise…