15 States Enacted Theft Crackdown Laws Over Last 2 Years
Inside new theft crackdown laws rolled out by ten states in 2023 including compulsory education courses for thieves

As a consequence of a rash of smash-and-grab thefts throughout the year, multiple states have introduced new laws to combat the issue.

Ten states have introduced theft-related laws this year; they range from harsher punishments to implementing task forces to address shoplifting.

The 2023 states that have instituted such laws are Texas, Virginia, Alabama, Indiana, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. In the prior year California, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, and North Carolina had instituted similar laws.

Texas has instituted two separate laws, the first being a task force to address the perceived rising theft issue. The second law allows those charged and found guilty of shoplifting to avoid all jail time by enrolling in and completing an educational course.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro recently reduced the threshold of merchandise stolen to qualify for a felony retail theft conviction; this also creates a new felony charge in the state. The bill also created a section of the attorney general's office dedicated to investigating retail theft rings.

These laws have garnered mixed reactions from the public, lawmakers, and various organizational stakeholders.

Bradley Haywood, a public defender in Arlington, Virginia is still pushing back against his state's new law that created a new shoplifting felony charge, intending to have them repealed. the-sun.com


Will California's War Against Retail Theft Pay Off in 2024?
What recent California crime trends say about what to expect in 2024

Policy analysts and authorities discuss the factors influencing crime in California over the last two years

While data from the past few years has shown an increase in violent crime and retail theft, some experts and law enforcement leaders had differing opinions on what may change - or stay the same - in 2024.

California an outlier for violent crime

In 2022, California averaged 499.5 reported violent crimes per 100,000 people, while the U.S. was at 380.7 per 100,000. Although California has mostly matched national violent crime trends since 2014, there has been a widening gap in recent years, which an analysis by the Public Policy Institute of California attributed primarily to a rise in aggravated assault.

Will the root causes of retail theft change in 2024?

Many law enforcement agencies, including the LAPD and the LA County Sheriff's Department, have established task forces looking to clamp down on retail theft. LASD reported in October that the department's task force had arrested 89 people for retail theft in just five weeks, and recovered $370,000 in stolen goods.

LAPD data found that in the year ending in October, robbery decreased by 4.2%, and motor-vehicle theft decreased by 4.5%. In 2022, according to the Protective League, California saw a 28.7% jump in retail crime.

There are positive trends. Larceny theft has remained relatively flat compared to 2013, from 252,997 to 250,794. Shoplifting and purse-snatching has been nearly cut in half.

Police departments say they remain focused despite challenges

Changes in this year's trends are very possible. The California Highway Patrol has received several hundred million dollars to bolster retail-crime prevention, and the agency has arrested more than 1,000 people. Some trends, like a decrease in young people committing violent crime, have given researchers hope.  dailynews.com


Increased Security & Riot Glass Isn't Stopping Smash & Grabs in Chicago
Chicago shop owners targeted by smash-and-grab burglars want solutions
Kim is one of several small business owners in the city who have been hit by multiple smash-and-grab burglaries involving cars in a short time span, despite increased physical security such as shutters and riot glass for windows. The tactic involves a crew of thieves driving a vehicle through storefronts and stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise before fleeing in cars.

Also called "crash-and-grabs," after they occur store owners quickly pick up the pieces, reinstall security and reopen - usually within a week - to serve customers. While owners say they are committed to their bricks-and-mortar stores, the lack of arrests and the relentless burglaries have them wondering how they can keep their businesses afloat.

"We want to keep growing and be more of a staple in the community, but if this keeps happening over and over again, what are we supposed to do?" Kim said on a recent afternoon in SVRN.

Rob Karr, president and CEO of the Illinois Merchants Retail Association, said the radius of smash-and-grabs has been expanding beyond downtown. Thieves are also becoming more savvy and organized with crime, leading even businesses with strong security to face burglaries.

"It's getting spread out, and we've seen a heightened awareness," Karr said. "We also know that thieves are taking down barriers now."

Karr said tracking smash-and-grab burglaries is an issue across Illinois and nationally because each jurisdiction records the crimes differently. He called on law enforcement to find solutions for the repeated thefts. "They really need the full engagement of law enforcement to take this seriously," Karr said. "There's no end in sight for this theft but it's leaving the retailer completely exposed simply because prosecution doesn't occur." gmtoday.com


Target's 'Relentless' Effort to Take Down Shoplifters
Stealing from Target: Consequences, Loss Prevention, and the Impact on Community
Shoplifting is a serious offense that can have severe consequences, and one store that takes it very seriously is Target. This popular retail chain has gained a reputation for building strong cases against repeat shoplifters and ensuring that they face the appropriate legal consequences. Target employs various loss prevention strategies, such as security guards, surveillance cameras, and entrance theft detection devices, to deter potential shoplifters and safeguard their inventory.

If you are caught stealing from Target, you could be charged with either petit larceny or grand larceny, depending on the value of the stolen items. Target is relentless in its efforts to combat shoplifting within its stores and actively works towards bringing those responsible to justice. The company's dedication to preventing theft is evident in its staggering inventory loss figures; during the last fiscal year alone, Target experienced a whopping $763 million in shrink, which encompasses losses due to shoplifting, fraud, or cargo theft.

One concerning trend that retailers like Target are facing is organized retail crime. These networks operate with sophistication and target every point along the supply chain - from docks and trucks to railways and even within stores themselves. This rise in criminal activity poses serious challenges for retailers who strive to protect their inventory and maintain profitability.

While external factors contribute significantly to inventory loss at Target, internal issues must also be addressed. Employee theft and process failures can account for substantial losses of inventory. To mitigate these risks, comprehensive employee training programs and strict inventory management protocols must be implemented. beststocks.com


Ignore the Political Noise: Retail Theft is an 'Obvious' Problem
Editorial: Is retail theft a problem? Just ask store security

When it comes to shoplifting and retail theft, the public has every right to be confused.

Is it going up or down? Is it a crime wave, or an urban myth made up by struggling retailers to justify poor sales or shoddy management practices? Are more police needed or fewer? Like everything else, shoplifting statistics have been politicized to prove one point or another.

The truth is, retail theft is clearly a problem, and coordinated efforts by businesses, police and prosecutors are paying off.

It's unclear how much money retailers are losing due to organized retail crime. How many retail crimes go unreported is unknown, but contacting police takes time and insurance claims can drive up business costs.

There is no need to make up concerns about theft. Retailers shutter underperforming stores all the time. Investors typically consider that a good thing if the closures improve the bottom line.

"Millions and millions of dollars in Washington are spent on hiring security, putting in bollards to protect people from driving through the front of their store with a stolen car," said Johnson. "This wasn't the case five years ago. But these retailers are taking drastic measures, locking up their products, hiring off-duty police and security personnel, armed and unarmed, to protect their customers, to protect their workers and to protect their product."

Is shoplifting and retail theft a legitimate problem? We can ponder that question while waiting for a clerk to open the display case so we can complete our purchase of razor blades or hair care products.

If we leave out the politics, the answer is obvious. seattletimes.com  columbian.com


Social Media is Throwing Gas On the Flash Mob Robbery Fire
Flash Mob Robbery Trend Soared in 2023 Fueled by Social Media

'These people just go out and steal, not because of need, [but] because they can and they won't get in trouble,' a California police officer said of smash-and-grab theft

It's a scene that has played out in retail stores across the U.S. scores of times in 2023: Hordes of looters running in and out of shops, grabbing everything they can and then scattering before anyone can stop them. Many of the thieves, who can hide in the anonymity of the crowd, never even face consequences for these flash-mob robberies - though the mass robberies sometimes turn violent.

While there isn't specific data on flash mob robberies, industry experts have seen an uptick of these incidents in 2023 year and predict that the trend will continue in the new year, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF), the nation's largest retail trade association.

What drives flash mob robberies?

These types of robberies often hatch online by young people who put out a call out for others to join in the looting, Drew Neckar, president of Security Advisors Consulting Group, told The Messenger.

"Social media and a constant cycle of knowing what's happening elsewhere hits TikTok and other platforms, and people may see it and think, 'why aren't we doing that?'" he said.

Committing crime in a group gives the perception that participants can hide in large numbers and that the chances of being caught afterwards are low because a majority of large retailers are telling staff not to stop mobs of shoplifters for fear of injury or death during these sometimes violent intrusions, Neckar added. themessenger.com


New Bill Seeks to Change Policing in NYC
Families of New Yorkers killed by NYPD plead with Mayor Adams to sign bill requiring cops to log all stops
Eighteen family members of New Yorkers killed by NYPD officers - including the mother of Eric Garner - called on Mayor Adams on Friday to sign a bill into law that would require city cops to document every investigative encounter they have with civilians.

The so-called "How Many Stops Act" bill, which passed the City Council earlier this week, has faced opposition from Adams, who says the measure would place an unnecessary bureaucratic burden on officers whose time would be consumed by paperwork instead of policing.

"The How Many Stops Act is not the only change we need, but by shedding light on all stops - including how often and where they happen and if they are motivated by racial profiling - it will enable us to work together toward eradicating unnecessary and unconstitutional policing and ultimately prevent others families from suffering as we do."

Under current laws, NYPD officers only need to document civilian stops if it's part of a so-called Level 3 investigative encounter, where there's "reasonable suspicion" of a crime in progress. Under the Council bill, officers would also be required to log all stops for Level 1 and Level 2 encounters, the first of which can be conducted without any suspicion of a crime.

"In every City Council district in this city, our officers will be forced to spend more time in their cars and on their phones, and less time walking the streets and engaging with New Yorkers," the mayor's statement said of the legislation.  nydailynews.com


Dollar General has an answer for Target and Walmart's theft issue

Larceny down almost 80% In Manteca, Calif.