Oshtemo Township Cracks Down on "Candy Boys" With New Street Sales Rules After 30 Reports of Juveniles Stealing and Selling Looted Goods

*## Gym Owner Sees Kids as Young as 8 Harassing Customers, Carrying Guns, Selling Stolen Candy in Shopping Plaza Parking Lots*

Muhammad Alfaraj runs House of Champions Gym in Oshtemo Township, and he has seen this all too often.

Early in the day, late at night, kids walk around the shopping plaza parking lots bothering customers if you're going to buy candy. They keep coming back. It's not a one-time thing.

"One time there was one dude that was with them, between 18 and 20. He carried a huge gun with them. If you're selling candy, why are you doing this?" Alfaraj said.

Alfaraj, who owns the gym off West Main Street, has watched young people as young as 8 years old sell candy they stole from stores like Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, Target, and Walgreens in the Maple Hill Pavilion area.

## Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office Receives 30 Reports of Juvenile Retail Theft, Recommends Charges for Two Adults

The Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office says they've received 30 reports about the issue and recommended charges for two adults involved with the children for the candy theft turned sale.

Captain Logan Bishop of the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office said the goal is to reduce this behavior under a new ordinance adopted by Oshtemo Township that requires sales for fundraisers to have proper permitting.

"While it seems to be minor, a juvenile, stealing some candy, what they've seen it lead to and what we believe it's leading to is more serious issues in the parking lot," Bishop said.

The sheriff's office has not confirmed reports of anyone brandishing a weapon, though Captain Bishop said he has not read all the reports. He added that he knows they've had incidents where adults have been in cooperation with the juveniles.

## Township Changes Ordinance to Hold Parents Accountable, Give Law Enforcement Tools to Address Fraud and Theft

In collaboration with Oshtemo Township officials and legal counsel, the Sheriff's Office reviewed existing ordinances and identified that the Township's Hawking/Peddling Ordinance could be utilized to help address this issue.

With a minor modification, the ordinance now requires individuals to obtain authorization through township offices prior to selling goods or services within the township.

"The spirit of this ordinance update is to strengthen oversight of solicitors and reduce fraud, while intentionally avoiding the collection of personal information about minors," Oshtemo Township officials said.

The ordinance now gives law enforcement the tools to address this situation and hold parents accountable when minors are involved, all with the goal of reducing fraud and theft in the community.

"The ordinance now gives law enforcement the tools to address this situation and hold parents accountable when minors are involved, all with the goal of reducing fraud and theft in our community," the township said.

## Girl Scout Cookie Sales Will Not Be Affected By New Rules

The sheriff's office said the new ordinance will not likely impact events like Girl Scout cookie sales. The rules are specifically targeting unauthorized street sales by juveniles who are stealing goods and selling them without permits.

The Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office is working with Oshtemo Township officials to ensure the ordinance update provides deputies with a tool to identify individuals operating outside the ordinance and supports ongoing investigative efforts related to retail theft and fraud.

The updated ordinance also holds individuals accountable not only for unauthorized sales but also for knowingly assisting others in the sale of goods without a permit.