Attorney General Dave Sunday has aligned with a coalition of 38 state Attorneys General urging Congress to pass legislation aimed at combating organized retail crime. This initiative seeks to provide enhanced resources for local and state law enforcement and impose stricter penalties on supply chain thieves.
"Retail theft is not a victimless crime, as we have seen violence against employees and bystanders in numerous incidents nationwide," Attorney General Sunday stated. "Many of these rings operate across local and state borders, so expanding the network of law enforcers and strengthening the supply of federal resources makes sense in combatting this trending criminal conduct."
The impact of organized retail crime has been significant, leading to financial losses exceeding $121 billion in the United States. Additionally, 76 percent of retail asset protection managers report employee violence related to such crimes.
Pennsylvania's Office of Attorney General established its Organized Retail Crime Unit last year, launching key investigations and making notable arrests. Recent cases include charging individuals involved in multi-state generator thefts from Lowe’s stores and Apple product thefts from Target stores.
During the 118th Congress, H.R.895/S.140 – Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2023 was introduced alongside S.139 – Organized Retail Crime Center Authorization Act of 2023. The coalition now urges the 119th Congress to reintroduce this bill, proposing increased federal penalties for supply chain thefts as a deterrent against organized theft.
The proposed legislation would also establish an Organized Retail Crime Coordination Center at the Department of Homeland Security, enhancing information sharing crucial for tackling cross-border organized retail crime.
Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, and South Carolina co-led the letter to Congress with support from Attorneys General across various states including Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York among others.