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Retailers call on Congress to crack down on organized thefts
The Retail Federation is calling on Congress to help fight organized thefts. The new effort to combat retail crime is now reaching Capitol Hill and includes support from some local lawmakers.
BETHESDA, Md. - The National Retail Federation is calling on Congress to help fight organized thefts.
The new effort to combat retail crime is now reaching Capitol Hill and includes support from some local lawmakers.
Billions of dollars have been lost to retail crimes with store owners saying the problem is only getting worse. FOX 5's Melanie Alnwick says what was once only seen at high end stores is now happening regularly at pharmacies, grocery and convenience stores.
Organized retail theft is more than just shoplifting. It is when groups of people, work together to steal large amounts of merchandise in one swoop, then turn around and resell those stolen products.
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It’s become a $110 billion dollar problem that’s led to empty shelves, locked goods, and store closings.
The thefts are bold, Alnwick says, but the level of violence has increased too.
The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act would create a central agency in the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate federal, state, and local law enforcement. They would have the ability to investigate and prosecute across state lines. The bill also lowers the thresholds to allow local prosecutors to charge thieves with federal crimes.
Time is running out on the congressional calendar to get the bill passed this year.
There is also a law that went into effect in June that requires online sites to verify the identity of their sellers.