REI ‘actively working’ to nab serial shoplifter who hit 3 Twin Cities stores, 22 nationwide

REI says it is “actively working” with law enforcement to catch a man who is suspected of targeting three stores in the Twin Cities as part of a one-person nationwide shoplifting spree that yielded more than $130,000 in merchandise from nearly two dozen of the outdoor gear retailer’s outlets.

The day of thievery in the Twin Cities occurred on Dec. 20 at REIs in Bloomington, Maple Grove and Roseville, according to a search warrant affidavit filed in Hennepin County District Court last week. The affidavit points to a specific suspect.

“In the past 18 months, a male subject is actively traveling across the country and shoplifting large amounts of merchandise [at] REI stores,” read the affidavit, which asked for a judge’s approval to search records associated with a cellphone with a Beverly Hills area code that belongs to the suspect.

“According to loss prevention staff, the suspect is responsible for 22 known incidents at an average of $6,192.85 per incident and a total loss to REI of over $130,000,” the filing continued.

The alleged perpetrator was identified by police in Arizona, where he’s accused of stealing from two stores. A Flagstaff police detective spoke with the man, who denied knowing about any thefts. No arrests have been announced.

Maple Grove police records spell out how the shoplifting went down at that city’s REI, located in the Arbor Lakes commercial development. The man entered the store in the afternoon on the Friday before Christmas, where he brought high-end wind- and rain-resistant jackets into the fitting room, cut off the anti-theft sensors and concealed the garb on his body.

The suspect made three trips in the fitting room in all, and left the store with 12 Arc’teryx Beta SL jackets, which retail for $500 each.

“Our investigators have spent considerable time reviewing video -- including CCTV footage from neighboring stores -- to collect evidence, and partnering with police and detectives to move the case forward,” Behrbaum said. “We built a substantial case, which we have shared with our law enforcement and prosecution partners.”

REI, based in suburban Seattle, has long had a reputation as a ripe target for shoplifters.

In the wake of an REI closing in Portland, Ore., a grassroots employee movement pointed to theft at the store as one of the factors leading to its closure.

“Theft ... has always been a problem at that location, and REI’s policy doesn’t deter shoplifting or any criminal behavior for that matter,” read a posting last spring on REI Employees for Real Change, which has 1,600 followers on Facebook. “In fact, many employees have gotten fired for trying to prevent theft, because REI’s policy is no engagement. If it’s not secured to a fixture, it’s basically a free for all for anyone who wants to steal an item, and shoplifters know this.”

The Facebook page’s founder, Aisling Concannon, told the Minnesota Star Tribune on Monday that “a couple of my friends were fired [from the Portland store] as a result of trying to prevent theft.” She said she was dismissed in 2015 after starting the page.

Brown said new hires get a company policy handbook, but it did not include processes for dealing with shoplifters.

Instead, Brown said, “you start learning from the manager what that policy is. You never see it in writing.”

Behrbaum, the REI spokeswoman, explained Monday night that the company’s shoplifting policy “is focused on employee safety and serving our customers, which is like the approach other retailers also have in place. We don’t want REI employees injured or putting themselves in potentially unsafe situations. ... Their safety will always take priority over the recovery of merchandise.”