Remember that time, decades ago, when Mom took you shopping and you just had to have that candy bar? She said “no,” (as usual) – but when she and the storekeep were busy elsewhere, the chocolate somehow made it into your pocket. Later, Mom found out (again, as usual)… dragged you back to the store… you apologized to the store clerk and likely went to bed early.

Law enforcement authorities from Maine to California to Taylorsville only wish retail theft was that quaint now.

The most recent numbers from the National Retail Federation show shoplifting (retail theft) losses to their industry top $110 billion annually. Oh, and those are only the reported losses – which average more than $500 per. Those lone, wayward candy bars aren’t even on their ledger sheet.

Closer to home, in 2024 one single Taylorsville store, Target, reported $1 million in retail theft losses.

Taylorsville Police Detective Steve Jensen lives and breathes these numbers – and does it better than nearly anyone wearing a badge in Utah. In fact, Jensen is such a critical member of Utah Attorney General’s (Crimes Against Statewide Economics) Unit, he has now been honored twice by one of our state’s leading retailers, in as many years.

In spring 2023, the CASE Unit closed a lengthy investigation with the arrest of seven suspects involved in a major theft ring and fencing operation. For that effort, the team was honored by TJX, the parent company of TJ Maxx.

Then, just a few weeks ago, TJX named Jensen their Law Enforcement Partner of the Year for the entire State of Utah.

“He has been a game-changer in igniting passion for organized retail crime resolution for the whole state,” company representatives said.

“I don’t do what I do to receive honors,” Jensen said. “But, to the extent these kinds of honors draw attention to the problem of retail theft and fencing operations, I’m very grateful to be recognized. Our CASE Unit has gotten better at what we do. We are expanding and involving more retailers. It’s very rewarding arresting suspects who had no idea they were being tracked.”

A graduate of West Jordan High School (1997) and Weber State University (2003, Criminal Justice), Jensen, 46, began his law enforcement career in Utah’s second largest city in 2004.

“After two years as a West Valley City patrol officer, I shifted to their Community Service Division and then on to their Special Investigations Unit in 2008,” he said. “That’s when I first became more involved investigating organized crime, gangs and residential and business burglaries.”

Following the October 2018 on-campus murder of University of Utah track athlete Lauren McCluskey, Jensen was one of a few law enforcement professionals recruited to strengthen the school’s police presence and investigatory skills. But, after two years with that agency, he was ready for another career change.

“I was excited the moment I first heard Taylorsville City was (bringing back) its own city police department,” Jensen said. “I was familiar with the area and was confident it would be a good organization.”

Jensen has had his current rank and “detective” title since TVPD began operations on July 1, 2021. So has Police Chief Brady Cottam.

“Steve is a true cop in every sense of the word,” Cottam said of Jensen. “He understands the big picture. He’s here for all the right reasons. Detective Jensen is the guy you want investigating your crime.”

After he was honored before the Taylorsville City Council, Mayor Kristie Overson also shared words of praise about Jensen.

“This (TJX Law Enforcement Partner of the Year) award is so well deserved by Detective Jensen,” Overson said. “Steve has developed a sting program that is so effective getting shoplifters. I know TJ Maxx has been very impressed. We are lucky to have a remarkable Taylorsville Police team. I just love having officers who want to work hard serving the public.”

TVPD Office Manager Brandy Stephens also added: “He’ll kill me for saying this…but a lot of us consider Detective Jensen to be our Superman.” 

It didn’t come with a red cape, but Jensen was also named TVPD Employee of the Month last November.

Jensen is now assigned to the CASE Unit full time and works out of an Attorney General’s satellite office off 5400 South, just west of I-15. Taylorsville taxpayers pick up the tab for Jensen’s work throughout many Utah jurisdictions. And Cottam says that’s just the way he wants it.

“The amount of resources our city gets back in exchange for Steve’s work on the CASE Unit makes it well worth his time to serve the AG,” Cottam said. “The unit has done so much to help educate our retailers about how to combat retail loss. Plus, Detective Jensen is learning so much from the other members of the unit and other police agencies across Utah. All of that experience will be very valuable to Taylorsville, when the day comes, he returns to us full time.”

Even after 20 years in law enforcement, Jensen is the first to admit there is so much to learn in the world of retail theft.

“This is just such a complex field,” the detective explained. “Most people just think of shoplifting as someone slipping something into their pocket. But this is organized crime. These people will hit two, three, four stores a night – stealing a couple of hundred dollars’ worth of merchandise from each store. They know how to move from one jurisdiction to another. They understand those jurisdictions often don’t communicate well with one another.”

Jensen reports, these sophisticated offenders normally fall into two categories: “travelers” and “repeat offenders.”

“Travelers are often immigrants, both illegal and legal immigrants,” he said. “They enter Utah, steal things from St. George to Logan, and then leave the state as fast as they came in. The repeat offenders are more local. When they steal goods, they will pawn them… trade them for drugs… or often just list the items for sale themselves. We get leads all the time from Facebook Marketplace.”

Due to liability issues, Jensen says store security personnel normally don’t even confront shoplifters anymore. They will try to get a license plate number and, of course, report it to police. But, by the time a patrol officer responds, those suspects are long out of Taylorsville, or whatever jurisdiction they were in.

“Our task force is working hard to improve communication between police agencies and even between retailers,” Jensen said. “We have been able to move more quickly and to anticipate the bad guys’ next move. One time, we had a vehicle description and a good guess on what store they might hit next. I was sitting in my parked truck outside the store when the suspects literally pulled in and parked next to me. We watched them go in and walk out with merchandise, then we arrested them.”

About the same time TJX was honoring Jensen several weeks ago for his police work, the Taylorsville detective was also named chairman of the Utah Organized Retail Crime Association, a “coalition of volunteers from various sectors of the retail industry, including multi-store leaders and loss prevention professionals… bringing together insights from different areas of retail operations… (and) law enforcement agencies.”

“I’m fortunate to have leadership in place from both our city and TVPD, who have a good vision of what my role entails,” Jensen concluded. “You simply won’t find another agency around that offers the empowerment and support that Taylorsville does. We hope that through our many partnerships (with other police agencies throughout Utah), this vision will become contagious.” λ