Raleigh, NC (October 26, 2022) – Law enforcement officers and retail loss prevention professionals from across North and South Carolina came together at the Sheraton Imperial in Durham, NC on Thursday, October 13 for the 7th Annual Conference of the Carolinas Organized Retail Crime Alliance (CORCA). CORCA, managed by the North Carolina Retail Merchants Association, is a collaborative effort between retailers and law enforcement to reduce organized retail crime.

More than 150 participants were welcomed to the event by Jason Major, an Online Fraud Investigator, LPC, for Lowe’s Home Improvement and the 2022-23 CORCA president. Retail attendees represented all types of stores from chains to one-store operations and included grocery, apparel, pharmacy, beauty, home improvement and general merchandise. Law enforcement officers from police and sheriff’s departments in both states, as well as district attorneys, were active participants as well.

Expert speakers covered a wide scope of topics including: New legislation in North Carolina to combat ORC, Human Trafficking, Cyber Fraud along with several sessions highlighting public-private partnerships and collaboration to address transnational organized crime. Featured speakers included Special Agent John Willis, with Homeland Security Investigations; Kristin Reif, Director of External Affairs with Philip Morris International, Andy Ellen, President and General Counsel of the NC Retail Merchants Association, Chuck Spahos, General Counsel for the NC Conference of District Attorneys along with local law enforcement and district attorneys from both states. Attendees also heard from loss prevention officers employed by both national and local retail chains who shared their first-hand knowledge of current organized retail crime trends, the methods learned to deter further loss, and the importance for law enforcement and retail to continue to build a strong network to share information.

Kicking off the afternoon sessions was the awards presentation for the 2022 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year for both North and South Carolina. Deputy Joe Calabro was named the 2022 North Carolina Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. A five-year veteran of law enforcement, Deputy Calabro is currently assigned to the Crime Reduction Unit with the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office. Detective Kurt Sculac was named the 2022 South Carolina Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. A seven-year law enforcement veteran, Detective Sculac is assigned to the Intelligence Unit of the Criminal Investigations Division with the Myrtle Beach Police Department. Both officers were commended for their partnerships with retailers and commitment to identifying organized retail crime operations, apprehending those responsible to hold them accountable and recovering stolen property.

During a special awards ceremony following the presentation from the NC Retail Merchants Association and Conference of District Attorneys on SB 766 that become law on December 1, nine members of the North Carolina General Assembly were recognized as CORCA’s 2022 Legislative Champions for their bipartisan effort to pass this important new law during the 2022 legislative session which will directly combat organized retail crime in North Carolina. Senator Tom McInnis (R- Anson, Moore, Richmond, Scotland) and Representatives Jamie Boles (R- Moore), Allen McNeill (R- Moore, Randolph) and Robert Reives (D- Chatham, Durham) attended the conference and accepted their CORCA Legislative Champion awards during a special presentation. Also recognized, but not in attendance, were Senators Danny Britt (R- Columbus, Robeson), David Craven (R- Guilford, Randolph) and Mujtaba Mohammed (D- Mecklenburg), as well as Representatives Ted Davis (R- New Hanover) and Carson Smith (R- Columbus, Pender).

During breaks from the educational sessions and award presentations, attendees visited exhibits by vendors. Vendor company representatives explained and demonstrated some of the newest product innovations, services, and educational resources to assist retailers and law enforcement in preventing organized retail crime as well as apprehending offenders.

Save the date for next year’s CORCA Conference as the date is already set for October 4-5, 2023 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Visit www.corca.org to find out more details.

Organized retail crime goes far beyond common shoplifting, bad checks and fake gift cards. It is the large-scale theft of retail product usually driven by a criminal enterprise employing a group of individuals who steal mass quantities of merchandise and then resell the merchandise to convert the stolen goods into cash. Organized rings are often involved in other crimes within the community, including narcotics, money laundering and human trafficking. According to the National Retail Federation’s latest National Retail Security Survey, organized retail crime was a primary driver in retail losses which reached $94.5 billion nationwide in 2021. North Carolina has not been immune to organized retail crime, with recent sting operations recovering over $400,000 in stolen product.

Officially launched in February 2016, CORCA is a partnership between law enforcement and retail loss prevention officers. It is a division of the Retail Consumer Alliance Foundation, within the North and South Carolina State Retail Associations and is supported by the retail associations along with the Carolinas Food Industry Council. Through CORCA, retailers and law enforcement have found a way to bridge communication and fight the growing problem of retail crime on a unified front. For more information, visit http://www.corca.org/.