Undercover Philadelphia police officers arrested more than a dozen people Thursday at a Center City CVS as part of a broader effort to crack down on retail theft, police said.
Officers conducted the sting at the CVS at 11th and Market streets, where Action News observed arrest after arrest outside the store. Those taken into custody were accused of shoplifting, according to police.
The operation is part of a larger retail theft initiative that the Philadelphia Police Department launched more than three years ago. Police say the effort has intensified in recent days, with nearly 40 arrests made this week alone at CVS locations across the city.
“It’s really part of the engagement piece. We work closely with the retailers, and this week CVS approached the Philadelphia Police Department and said, ‘Hey, we want to do something on a larger scale,’ and that’s what we’re doing today,” Philadelphia Police Inspector Ray Evers said.
IMAGE: Only Action News was there as an undercover Philadelphia police sting netted shoplifting arrests on March 25, 2026.
Evers said undercover officers arrested 26 people this week at nine CVS locations citywide, not including the arrests made Wednesday at the Center City store. Police said 13 people were arrested at that single location.
According to Evers, those arrested reflect a wide range of backgrounds, from organized retail theft gangs to everyday residents.
“We’ve locked up really interesting people. Teachers, a contractor coming in his truck who thinks the Wawa is a buffet, and just steals. We’re going to lock you up,” Evers said.
Action News’ data team analyzed retail theft reports and found a steady decline in such incidents over the past three years, which coincides with the department’s retail theft initiative.
Shoppers outside the Center City CVS said the decline is welcome news, noting the inconvenience of merchandise being locked behind plastic cases or secured with chains.
“I have witnessed that firsthand of them just coming in, taking what they want and leaving,” said Nicola Elliott of West Oak Lane.
Others said accountability is critical.
“You want to think about the good in everybody, and you go in to get what you need and are grateful we can just do that, but pay for it,” said Julie Teel-Borders, who was visiting from Longview, Texas.
Police said sentencing outcomes for those arrested can range from psychological counseling and services on the low end to second-degree felony charges under state statute on the high end.