A task force led by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office is cracking down on dozens of offenders who, prosecutors say, have repeatedly targeted stores in the South Bay Mall.

According to Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden, his office has secured “stay-away” orders against 73 men and women who were arrested for shoplifting and other offenses at stores in South Bay over the last quarter of 2024.

Most recently, the office said, it “obtained a stay-away order against Kevin Whyte, 39, of Taunton, who was arraigned on 11 outstanding warrants at South Boston BMC for shoplifting offenses at South Bay.”

Last Monday, Whyte was ordered held on $500 bail and ordered back to court on Feb. 7. He also faces outstanding warrants in courts outside Suffolk County, Hayden said.

“Our overarching goal with this initiative is to make shopping spaces safe for consumers and workers and to help prevent any more store closures, which we know have a dramatic impact on residents, particularly our older residents,” the DA added.

“But that doesn’t mean seeking incarceration for every offender. In many cases,” he said, “the effective path is to address the underlying reason for the conduct, which is very often addiction disorders.” He noted that the orders will “stay in effect while cases are pending and some remain in effect as part of sentencing.”

The office has also referred nine defendants into drug-treatment programs while their cases were pending and “an additional 16 drug-treatment provisions as part of case dispositions.”

Of the 45 cases disposed of through Dec., 16 included drug-treatment provisions as part of sentencing, 8 resulted in incarceration ranging from 10 days to one year, and 31 had the existing stay-away orders remain in effect. Judges also ordered a total of $3,038.80 in restitution payments to Target.
–REPORTER STAFF