Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin has aligned with a bipartisan group of 37 attorneys general in a call to the US Congress, advocating for the creation of more severe penalties for those involved in organised retail crime.
Griffin stated: “Arkansas has been a leader on organised retail crime for the past two years, and I have made it a priority in my office. Last year I hired a full-time organised retail crime investigator, and before that I joined with Homeland Security Investigations and several neighbouring states to form an Organized Retail Crime Alliance. We’ve already seen multiple busts and arrests as a result of our focused efforts.
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“This legislation we are asking Congress to pass will help us in our local fight against organised retail crime. The more tools we have in bringing these criminals to justice, the more success we will have in keeping our communities, our roadways and our places of business safe, and the more we can prevent crimes that pass on costs to consumers.”
The push follows the introduction of H.R.895/S.140 – Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2023 and S.139 – Organized Retail Crime Center Authorization Act of 2023 during the 118th Congress.
The proposed legislation aims to equip state and federal agencies with the resources to prosecute those responsible for these widespread offences.
The coalition is now urging Congress to reintroduce this bill with provisions that would enhance federal penalties for supply chain thefts, strengthening the legal deterrent against organised theft of goods during transit.
The initiative was spearheaded by attorneys general from Georgia, Connecticut, South Carolina and Illinois.
Attorneys general from an additional 33 states, the District of Columbia, and the US Virgin Islands have also joined the cause.
Organised retail crime has inflicted substantial financial damage across the US, with losses exceeding $121bn, and 76% of retail asset protection managers report violent encounters between their employees and organised retail criminals.
A new study conducted collaboratively by the country’s National Retail Federation and the Loss Prevention Research Council, and sponsored by Sensormatic Solutions revealed a 93% increase in the average number of retail shoplifting incidents per year in the US in 2023 compared to 2019, with a corresponding 90% rise in financial losses.
Cargo theft has also contributed to this criminal activity, disturbing supply chains and contributing to inflationary pressures on consumer goods.
