California Making 'Remarkable' Progress in Fighting ORC
$5.7M in Stolen Goods Recovered, 636 Arrests Over Last 5 Months
State’s organized retail crime takedown results in 525% increase in recovering stolen goods
So far this year, officers have made 636 arrests, recovered 216,754 stolen goods
Continuing to increase efforts to crackdown on organized retail crime in California, state law enforcement officials have made636 arrests and recovered 216,754 stolen goods, valued at nearly $5.7 million, in the last five months. Compared to the same period last year, arrests are up 167%, recovered stolen goods rose 525%, with their estimated value up 140%.
As state law enforcement officials continue to step up efforts to stop organized retail crime in California, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the California Highway Patrol (CHP) has made 636 arrests and recovered 216,754 stolen goods valued at nearly $5.7 million since January.
Through the state’s Organized Retail Crime Taskforce, when compared to the same time period from last year, increased efforts resulted in a 167% increase in arrests, 525% rise in stolen goods recovered, with their estimated value up 140%.
Compared to last year, these increased efforts equal to more than half of all the stolen goods the taskforce recovered in 2023.
Since the inception of this task force in 2019, the CHP has been involved in more than 2,600 investigations, leading to the arrest of over 2,700 suspects and the recovery of over 827,000 stolen goods valued at $43.8 million.
“Through increased enforcement efforts and strategic partnerships, our dedicated investigators continue to achieve
remarkable success in combating organized retail crime in California,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. “The significant increase in arrests and recovery of stolen merchandise underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting our communities and supporting businesses.”gov.ca.gov
RELATED: CA's retail crime takedown recovers 525% more stolen goods
Organized Theft Surge Pushes Retail to 'Reimagine' Shopping Experience
Retailers Ramp Up Security Measures Admist Debated Surge in Organized Theft
The landscape of retail shopping is undergoing significant security transformations as a response to the rise in organized retail theft,
a phenomenon that's causing major retailers to reimagine the traditional shopping experience and even change how shops operate. According to ABC15, companies have begun implementing tighter security measures, including locking up inventory and arming loss prevention associates with body cameras in an effort to combat thefts that are impacting the bottom line and, consequently, consumers' wallets.
Crime's ripple effect is visible on the shop floor; Michelle Ahlmer from the Arizona Retail Association—a board member of the Arizona Organized Retail Crime Association—pointed out sizeable thefts are leading to increased investment in security measures such as armed guards and store closures, potentially causing price hikes and service cuts due to lost sales tax revenue, and she also mentioned the problem can extend to the creation of food deserts. Meanwhile, loss prevention teams at the parent company for TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and Home Goods are donning body cameras. The footage captured is shared only on request from law enforcement or via a subpoena.
However, the narrative surrounding a tidal wave of retail theft could be overshadowed by misinformation, as a Vera Institute of Justice report suggests. They cast a critical eye on claims made by retail lobbyists about the extent of the theft issue, stating that across most of the country, retail theft was actually lower in 2023 than previous years.
This kind of hyperbolic messaging has led to significant policy discussions, for example, Senator Chuck Grassley's introduction of legislation aimed at fighting what appeared as an onslaught of organized theft.
At the heart of these discussions is the need to differentiate between the narrative presented and the underlying data. The conversation on retail theft is complex, touching on issues of economic disparity, racial justice, and the media's role in shaping public perception. Addressing the issue effectively calls for interventions that extend beyond simply tightening security and implementing harsh punishments—it calls for a balanced approach that accounts for the root causes of theft and the welfare of the very communities that retailers serve.hoodline.com
RELATED: Organized retail theft pushes stores to change how we shop
Another State Proposes ORC Legislation
NFIB Testifies on Bill to Stop Organized Retail Theft
The legislation calls for preventative measures and tougher penalties for shoplifting and other crimes
Assistant State Director Cameron Garczyk recently provided written testimony to the House Criminal Justice Committee in support of
House Bill 366, legislation to reduce organized retail theft in Ohio.
“House Bill 366 will work to provide a coordinated response to the increase in retail theft and shoplifting taking place in Ohio businesses,” Garczyk wrote.
“This measure is necessary as businesses are targeted by individuals who utilize the black market to profit from theft of stolen goods,” Garczyk wrote. “The legislation takes a number of important steps aimed at combatting this problem and strengthening the penalties for engaging in such activity.”
HB 366 would establish the Organized Retail Theft Advisory Council within the Office of the Attorney General, and the Organized Retail Theft Task Force within the Organized Crime Investigations Commission. “The goal of these entities is to work with retailers and law enforcement from across the state and nation to develop methods and strategies to respond more ably to shoplifting and retail theft activities,” Garczyk said.nfib.com
75% Increase in Retail Crime Offenses
Fairfax County faces an "alarming" rise in retail crimes
“We're still struggling with shoplifting and we ended 2023 with justover 7,000 retail crime offenses,” said Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis. “The year before we had 4,000. So,
we went from 4,000 to 7,000 in just one year, and that's alarming. There's a victim on the other end of that crime. There’s someone who's lost a wallet. There’s a grocer whose last product. There's a store at Tyson's or Springfield or the Mosaic who now has to raise their prices because their shrinkage is too high. People are stealing too often.”
Davis said organized retail criminals are targeting areas like Fairfax County. The retail theft crime is a relatively new law in Virginia that lawmakers passed and Governor Glenn Youngkin signed into law in 2024.
Davis would like the law strengthened.
“The bar to charge people with those crimes is so, so high,” said Davis. “I would argue that the bar is too high because, in fact,
we've only charged under that new statute six times in well over a year. The statute requires the police to be in a position to prove that the person we apprehended, the defendant, was intending to fence the stolen equipment. A lot of times we don't have that. So, it's terribly difficult."wjla.com
Warm Weather Means More Violence
Authorities across US grapple with a rash of violence in final days of spring
Communities across the country are grappling with a rash of violence in the final days of spring that included
at least four mass shootings in one weekend, and continued Monday with stabbings outside an Indiana strip mall.
On Saturday, a lone gunman opened fire at a recreational splash pad in suburban Detroit, injuring nine people, including an 8-year-old who was shot in the head. In Texas, fatal gunfire broke out at a Juneteenth celebration, with two people pronounced dead.
Other shootings and stabbings, in locations from Massachusetts to Indiana, marred the days before spring turns to summer as sweltering heat takes hold in many regions.
Chris Dennison, a sociology professor at the University of Buffalo who researches crime, said
the arrival of seasonable weather presents more opportunities for crime and violence, amid heightened concerns about mental health issues and destructive outcomes.
The rash of violence is a counterpoint to FBI data pointing to a sharp drop in violent crime nationwide earlier this year.
Brian Higgins, a lecturer at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said summer heat, large social gatherings and alcohol consumption typically fuel a seasonal increase in violence.
Charis Kubrin, a professor the University of California Irvine’s Department of Criminology, Law and Society, said a recent overall decline in violent crime as documented by the FBI comes with limitations because violent crime tends to intensify mid-year and some cities will run counter to national trends.wlox.com
Jacksonville Dollar General Shooting Impact
Dollar General shooting by racist gunman spurs aid for Jacksonville neighborhoods
A pilot program in next year's state budget will use $3 million for helping the part of Jacksonville where a white Clay County resident carrying a swastika-marked rifle killed three Black people at a Dollar General store.
The racist rampage brought condemnations by President Joe Biden and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a hate crime investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office and emergency state funding for Edward Waters University to strengthen security at the historically Black college where the gunman stopped before going to the nearby Dollar General.jacksonville.com
Crime and politics in California
Democrats in Sacramento push package on retail theft with strings attached, Proposition 47 revision heads to November ballot and there's a big gap between Newsom and legislative leaders on prison budget cuts
OPINION: More help needed in fighting organized retail theft
Vermont: Local businesses and law enforcement react to stricter retail theft penalties
The Hayes Report on Loss Prevention
Quarterly - Summer 2024 - Vol. 39 No. 3Frequently Targeted Items by ORC Groups - Good Management’s Impact on Shrink - When a Person Steals - Testing For Success - The Bulletin Board
Mark Doyle Talks --- Halfway Home
Well, we are halfway thru this calendar year, so how is your 2024 Shrink/LP Program progressing? Very good, I hope! If you are questioning if your program is on-track, then look at these few issues comparing results from Jan-Jun 2024 vs Jan-Jun 2023 to see if your trend is heading in a positive or negative direction. Average Audit Score; Known Theft Losses/Incidents; Cycle Count Results; and Mid-Year Physical Inventory Results. Hopefully these issues are pointing in the right direction for a good yearend shrink result. If not, you still have time to make some adjustments to your current shrink program/effort to realize your desired results come year-end.
Inflation Hampering Retail Sales
Retail sales rise 0.1% in May from April as still high inflation curbs spending
Consumers barely increased spending in May from April as still high prices on groceries and other necessities and high interest rates curbed spending.
Retail sales rose 0.1% in May, below the pace that economists projected, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. And April sales were revised downward — a 0.2% decline, from unchanged. Sales rose 0.6% in March and 0.9% in February. That comes after sales fell 1.1% in January, dragged down in part by inclement weather.
Excluding gas prices and auto sales, retail sales rose the same amount.
Retail sales in May, in part, were depressed by falling gas prices. Excluding sales from gasoline, sales were up 0.3%. The national average price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline was $3.45 as of Monday; a month ago, it was $3.59, AAA said.apnews.com
A Strong Safety Culture is 'Good for Business'
3 Essential Elements for a Strong Safety Culture
Organizations globally have increased their attention on safety culture: trying to figure out what it really is and the aspects that are necessary to develop and sustain it. And while this debate continues, there appears to be almost unanimous agreement on one thing: developing a strong safety culture is a good thing for business.
The truth is there’s no ‘one size fits all’ model to develop a strong safety culture. However, it’s been observed that most organizations that achieve safety culture success do so by knowing how to:
1. Show leadership’s commitment to safety in the workforce
2. Increase employee participation and engagement in safety
3. Measure and accurately assess progress toward safety excellencecority.com
Cities Seek to Revitalize Downtowns With Focus on Retail
This Southern California city offering brick-and-mortar retail space for $1 a month
Entrepreneurs in one Southern California city are taking advantage of a pop-up retail pilot program charging $1 a month rent for a brick-and-mortar retail space.
The program, launched by the City of Ontario as a complement to its Downtown Ontario Activation Strategy, began taking the first round of applications on June 3, and at least two small businesses have already taken up residence at the Euclid Avenue and B Street location.
The entrepreneurs are not just getting a taste of what it takes to operate a brick-and-mortar retail space — they’re now a part of the city’s effort to revitalize its downtown.ktla.com
NRF: Census Retail Sales Data for May Shows a ‘Reasonably Healthy Consumer’
Is the American shopper cutting back?
