NBC Bay Area: ‘We're going to put an end to this epidemic': An inside look at how San Jose police is fighting retail crime

San Jose police detectives said their fight against retail crime is paying off.

The claim comes after the San Jose Police Department was awarded an $8 million grant late last year to fight retail crime.

Police have a specialized unit dedicated only to retail thefts in the city, which the district attorney said is using a unique new law to keep the suspects in jail and throw the book at them.

"All of us should be able to go out with our families and shop, and have lunch, and not be worried that a gang of marauders are going to come running with hammers, breaking glass cases," Santa Clara County Chief Assistant District Attorney Jay Boyarsky said.