Attorney General Willam Tong has joined a 38-state and territory bipartisan coalition of attorney generals in urging Congress to address the rise in organized retail crime across the country.
The coalition is urging Congress to re-introduce a bill raised last year (H.R.895/S.140) that would provide additional resources at the state and federal levels to combat organized retail crime and increase federal penalties for supply chain thefts to act as a strong deterrent.
The legislation would also form an organized retail crime coordination center at the Department of Homeland Security. The center would facilitate information sharing needed to address the complex cross-border nature of organized retail crime, Tong said.
He noted that several attorneys general have formed task forces and created prosecution units to fight organized retail crime, and that the federal support would bolster their efforts.
“This is not run-of-the-mill shoplifting,” Tong said. “These are criminal organizations who recruit desperate people to steal and stock sophisticated online fencing operations, driving up prices and endangering retail workers.”
Organized retail crime has led to more than $121 billion in financial losses across the U.S., Tong’s office said. Further, 76% of retail asset protection managers say their employees have suffered from violence caused by an organized retail criminal.
Cargo theft is a primary component of organized retail crime nationwide that disrupts supply chains and puts inflationary pressure on the price of consumer goods, his office said.
