Latest news with #OrganizedRetailCrimeTaskForce
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
California Governor Says Efforts to Tackle Retail Crime Have Paid Off
California's expensive efforts to crack down on retail crime are paying off. Since January, the Golden State's Organized Retail Crime Task Force (ORCTF) has recovered $4.4 million in stolen goods as a result of 211 investigations, which led to the arrest of 383 suspects. In March alone, the ORCTF, which is spearheaded by the California Highway Patrol, recovered $2,134,742 in stolen assets and collared 174 criminals. More from Sourcing Journal California Governor Sues Trump Over 'Unlawful Tariffs Wreaking Chaos' Senators Reintroduce Federal Bill to Stymie Organized Retail Crime NJ Governor Signs Bill Tightening Retail Crime Penalties Some of the individual operations carried out so far this year have been massive in scale; according to the governor's office, a sting operation in the San Francisco Bay Area led to the recovery of merchandise worth over $770,000. Last month, real-time tracking capabilities led CHP to an individual suspected of stealing 137 beauty items in Lincoln, Calif. worth $19,000—and doing $10,000 in damage to the victimized store. After the seizures are catalogued, the merchandise is returned to the retailer. Since the ORCTF was established in 2019, it has conducted 3,700 investigations into retail theft incidents, leading to the arrest of about 4,200 suspects. Solving these crimes led to the recovery of 1.3 million stolen goods valued at $56 million. With retail crime on the rise in California since the pandemic, Governor Gavin Newsom in 2023 made the state's largest investment to date in bolstering law enforcement capabilities across the state. A whopping $267 million was funneled into 55 local law enforcement agencies to up technological capacities and train and hire officers. Those investments are now bearing fruit; last month, the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department's (LASD) ORCTF, along with collaborating agencies, took down a retail theft ring that boosted $4 million in merchandise from retailers like Target, Nordstrom and TJ Maxx. An analysis of Real Time Crime Index data by the Public Policy Institute of California showed that property crime dropped by 8.5 percent and violent crime dropped by 4.6 percent in 2024, with burglary and larceny also decreasing by 13.6 percent and 18.6 percent respectively from 2019 levels. 'The CHP's Organized Retail Crime Task Force teams have demonstrated exceptional dedication and coordination, leading to significant disruptions of criminal networks targeting California's businesses,' CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said this week. 'Their proactive investigations, strategic partnerships, and relentless pursuit of offenders have resulted in numerous arrests and recoveries, restoring a sense of safety and accountability in our communities.' The governor's office attributed much of the initiative's success to CHP's work with local law enforcement in high-crime areas. Since the beginning of the regional training and collaboration, nearly 6,000 arrests have been made, about 4,500 stolen vehicles recovered and around 300 firearms confiscated throughout Bakersfield, San Bernardino and Oakland. California voters last year made their voices heard on the matter, passing Prop. 36, which allows certain property crimes to be prosecuted as felonies if there is a history of criminal activity. The bill unraveled some of the provisions of Prop. 47, a controversial bill passed in 2014, which set the felony threshold for shoplifting at $950. Now, petty theft or shoplifting with two prior theft-related convictions may be charged as a felony.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
California Governor Says Efforts to Tackle Retail Crime Have Paid Off
California's expensive efforts to crack down on retail crime are paying off. Since January, the Golden State's Organized Retail Crime Task Force (ORCTF) has recovered $4.4 million in stolen goods as a result of 211 investigations, which led to the arrest of 383 suspects. In March alone, the ORCTF, which is spearheaded by the California Highway Patrol, recovered $2,134,742 in stolen assets and collared 174 criminals. More from Sourcing Journal California Governor Sues Trump Over 'Unlawful Tariffs Wreaking Chaos' Senators Reintroduce Federal Bill to Stymie Organized Retail Crime NJ Governor Signs Bill Tightening Retail Crime Penalties Some of the individual operations carried out so far this year have been massive in scale; according to the governor's office, a sting operation in the San Francisco Bay Area led to the recovery of merchandise worth over $770,000. Last month, real-time tracking capabilities led CHP to an individual suspected of stealing 137 beauty items in Lincoln, Calif. worth $19,000—and doing $10,000 in damage to the victimized store. After the seizures are catalogued, the merchandise is returned to the retailer. Since the ORCTF was established in 2019, it has conducted 3,700 investigations into retail theft incidents, leading to the arrest of about 4,200 suspects. Solving these crimes led to the recovery of 1.3 million stolen goods valued at $56 million. With retail crime on the rise in California since the pandemic, Governor Gavin Newsom in 2023 made the state's largest investment to date in bolstering law enforcement capabilities across the state. A whopping $267 million was funneled into 55 local law enforcement agencies to up technological capacities and train and hire officers. Those investments are now bearing fruit; last month, the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department's (LASD) ORCTF, along with collaborating agencies, took down a retail theft ring that boosted $4 million in merchandise from retailers like Target, Nordstrom and TJ Maxx. An analysis of Real Time Crime Index data by the Public Policy Institute of California showed that property crime dropped by 8.5 percent and violent crime dropped by 4.6 percent in 2024, with burglary and larceny also decreasing by 13.6 percent and 18.6 percent respectively from 2019 levels. 'The CHP's Organized Retail Crime Task Force teams have demonstrated exceptional dedication and coordination, leading to significant disruptions of criminal networks targeting California's businesses,' CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said this week. 'Their proactive investigations, strategic partnerships, and relentless pursuit of offenders have resulted in numerous arrests and recoveries, restoring a sense of safety and accountability in our communities.' The governor's office attributed much of the initiative's success to CHP's work with local law enforcement in high-crime areas. Since the beginning of the regional training and collaboration, nearly 6,000 arrests have been made, about 4,500 stolen vehicles recovered and around 300 firearms confiscated throughout Bakersfield, San Bernardino and Oakland. California voters last year made their voices heard on the matter, passing Prop. 36, which allows certain property crimes to be prosecuted as felonies if there is a history of criminal activity. The bill unraveled some of the provisions of Prop. 47, a controversial bill passed in 2014, which set the felony threshold for shoplifting at $950. Now, petty theft or shoplifting with two prior theft-related convictions may be charged as a felony.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NJ Governor Signs Bill Tightening Retail Crime Penalties
New Jersey is the latest state to crack down on crimesters. Governor Phil Murphy on Tuesday signed a bill that makes it easier for the state to penalize repeat retail crime offenders and suppress gift card fraud. It also requires the state's attorney general to take additional measures to curb organized retail crime (ORC), which could mean creating a new theft-focused task force or working with law enforcement and retailers on a different initiative. More from Sourcing Journal Q&A: How Can AI Systems Prevent and Record Retail Theft and Fraud? California's Organized Retail Crime Task Force Recovered $13.5M in Stolen Merchandise Last Year Gemspring Capital Acquires Loss Prevention Tech Provider Appriss Retail The law makes New Jersey one of more than a dozen states that have sought to tighten penalties for retail crime, including its neighbors, New York and Pennsylvania. The bill stipulates that those caught repeatedly perpetuating retail crime offenses can be sentenced to 'an extended prison term,' and allows that greater total value of stolen merchandise can translate to a more severe charge. That type of strategy has also been used in other states, like Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill last spring that created harsher penalties for those stealing from retailers or engaging in porch piracy. The bill also targets aggressive perpetrators, upgrading the charge from simple assault to aggravated assault if a crimester attacks a retail employee 'engaged in the performance of their duties.' Murphy said he chose to sign the bill, which passed unanimously in the state's legislature, in an attempt to protect consumers, businesses and retail employees alike. 'No business owner or retail worker should have to fear for their safety or endure the financial loss caused by organized retail theft,' Murphy said in a statement. 'Over the past few years, we have worked to crack down on organized retail theft, which threatens livelihoods and public safety. With today's bill, we are taking decisive action to combat this growing threat and protect businesses and workers statewide.' State Senator John Burzichelli and Assemblyman Joe Danielsen proposed the legislation. Burzichelli said he expects that it will save consumers money on day-to-day purchases, since afflicted retailers won't have to pass the cost of repurchasing or recovering stolen goods along to their consumers, particularly in the case of small retailers. He argued that it will also help stymie the amount of unsafe, unregulated goods floating around in the resale market, which could potentially harm consumers. 'This law will help fight the retail crime rings that operate on a much larger scale than individual shoplifters who take products for personal use. These are professional shoplifters backed by criminal organizations that plan large-scale thefts and fence the products on the gray market, often selling across state lines or through the internet. It's grown into a billion-dollar criminal enterprise that costs the average family an estimated $500 a year,' Burzichelli said in a statement. 'This is a true consumer protection law that will help safeguard the public's health and save consumers money.' The state's bill has received support from various trade groups, unions and organizations across the state, including the New Jersey Retail Merchants Association, the New Jersey Business & Industry Association and the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce. Michael Egenton, executive vice president of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, said the industry is glad to see the law signed by Murphy. 'This legislation will help curb large-scale theft operations that not only endanger retail workers but also drive up costs for hardworking New Jersey families. Strengthening penalties and enforcement tools is essential to ensuring the safety of our communities and the stability of our local economy. We applaud the bipartisan leaders who championed this bill and thank Governor Murphy for taking action to address this urgent issue,' Egenton said in a statement.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
IL Attorney General urges congressional action on organized retail theft
CHICAGO (WCIA) — The Illinois Attorney General is taking a stand against organized retail crime and he's urging action from Congress to combat this rising criminal trend. Kwame Raoul is co-leading a bipartisan coalition of 38 attorneys general of U.S. states and territories to address the problem. On Tuesday, the coalition sent a letter to Congress asking that they pass legislation to help the states fight back. In the letter, Raoul and the coalition explained that organized retail crime has contributed to financial losses of over $121 billion in the U.S. In addition, 76% of retail asset protection managers have reported their employees experiencing violence at the hands of shoplifters and thieves. Urbana employees pepper sprayed, battered during robbery; Crime Stoppers looking for tips Legislation was introduced during the 118th and most recently completed congressional term that would have provided state and federal resources necessary to bring organizations and individuals to justice, but the bill was never signed into law. Raoul and the coalition asked that the bill be reintroduced in the 119th and current U.S. Congress. 'I am urging Congress to reintroduce a bill to combat organized retail crime because the complex nature of these crimes frequently involves multiple jurisdictions at the local, state and federal levels. Organized retail crime can take many forms and is often a mechanism used to support other types of crime. It is imperative that Congress pass national legislation to streamline the sharing of resources and information between law enforcement agencies and states,' Raoul said in a statement. 'I created an Organized Retail Crime Task Force in Illinois to facilitate collaboration between local, state and federal law enforcement. Our bipartisan collaboration is calling for Congress to take action that will allow states to better collaborate and hold accountable the organizations and individuals perpetrating these crimes.' Raoul and several other attorneys general have formed task forces and created prosecution units to combat organized retail theft. Raoul's Organized Retail Crime Task Force is the first statewide, public-private collaboration of its kind in the state. It was designed to foster cooperation among retailers, online marketplaces, law enforcement agencies and state's attorneys dedicated to targeting organized retail crime enterprises. Thieves targeting freight trains in California and Arizona deserts make off with $2M worth of Nikes In their letter, Raoul and the coalition said the legislation introduced in the 118th Congress would expand upon and synchronize state and federal efforts through the creation of a retail crime coordination center inside the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The center would facilitate the sharing of information necessary to combat the interstate nature of organized retail crime. In addition to forming his task force, Raoul initiated changes to Illinois law that specifically defines organized retail crime. The law, passed in 2022, created stronger oversight of online marketplaces to curb the use of legitimate platforms to sell stolen goods, created a statewide intelligence platform to coordinate enforcement efforts and requires online marketplaces to verify the identity of high-volume sellers. The law also enabled any state's attorney to prosecute the whole crime if any element of the crime happened in their jurisdiction and gave the Attorney General's office authority to use the statewide grand jury to prosecute organized retail crime. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
