ORCAs are Essential in the Fight Against Retail Crime
The Importance of Organized Retail Crime Associations

By the D&D Daily staff

To combat the growing problem of organized retail crime, Organized Retail Crime Associations (ORCAs) have become essential in bringing together retailers, law enforcement, and policymakers to address retail crime effectively.

Collaboration and Intelligence Sharing

One of the most valuable aspects of ORCAs is their ability to facilitate collaboration between retailers and law enforcement. Criminal groups often operate across multiple jurisdictions, making it difficult for individual businesses or local police departments to track and apprehend offenders. ORCAs serve as a hub where retailers can share intelligence, surveillance footage, and crime patterns, helping law enforcement build stronger cases against organized theft rings.

Advocacy for Stronger Legislation

In addition to crime prevention, ORCAs play a key role in advocating for tougher laws and policies to combat retail theft. Many states are now enacting stricter penalties for organized theft, cracking down on online marketplaces that enable resale of stolen goods, and closing legal loopholes that allow criminals to avoid prosecution. ORCAs help lobby for these changes by providing data and real-world examples of how ORC impacts businesses and communities.

Training and Prevention Strategies

Retail employees and security personnel are often the first line of defense against organized crime. ORCAs provide training programs to help staff identify suspicious behavior, understand theft tactics, and implement prevention strategies. This proactive approach not only reduces losses but also enhances store safety for both employees and customers.

Strengthening Local Economies

Beyond protecting retailers, combating ORC helps safeguard local economies. When businesses suffer from repeated theft, they are forced to raise prices, cut jobs, or even close locations-hurting communities in the process. ORCAs work to ensure that stores can continue to operate safely, benefiting both consumers and workers.

Conclusion

Organized Retail Crime is a complex and growing problem that demands a coordinated response. ORCAs provide the infrastructure needed for retailers, law enforcement, and lawmakers to work together in the fight against organized theft. By promoting collaboration, advocacy, training, and economic stability, these associations play a critical role in protecting businesses and communities from the devastating impact of retail crime.

Consider joining or supporting your local ORCA-because when we work together, we can make a real difference.


Did Shoplifting Contribute to Philly Macy's Closure?
The store experienced 280 shoplifting incidents in 2024

Shoplifters stole from Macy's in Center City at least 280 times last year, police records show
The Macy's store in Center City Philadelphia, set to close in March due to declining sales, has also been a frequent target for shoplifters in recent years, according to Philadelphia Police Department records obtained by WHYY News.

In 2024, there were 280 retail thefts reported to police at the iconic Wanamaker Building store next to City Hall. Each of those thefts were for merchandise worth at least $200 or more, which means the store lost at least $56,000 last year.

It's unclear how much retail theft contributed to the store's poor sales performance as store-level data is not available for the national chain, but any stolen merchandise eats into profits, said Jerry Ratcliffe, a professor and criminologist at Temple University.

"That's a business decision made by the chains themselves but they're very sensitive to costs," Ratcliffe said. "So if they are really down, only scraping by on a profit on the margins and then retail theft is increasing and it doesn't look like it's going to abate, that may certainly be a major factor in their decision making."

The available retail theft data isn't perfect either, as stores have a lot of control over how much is reported to authorities at all, Ratcliffe said.

There has been an uptick in shoplifting incidents at Macy's reported to police: 93 thefts in 2019, 76 thefts in 2020, 46 thefts in 2021, 219 thefts in 2022 and 250 thefts in 2023.

Likewise, retail theft has increased citywide, from just under 7,400 incidents in 2018 to over 22,000 thefts in 2024. whyy.org


Bill to Curb Washington's 'Catastrophic Increase in Retail Theft'
Washington State Takes on Organized Retail Crime With Harsher Sentencing Bill
Legislators in the state of Washington are taking action against organized retail theft, introducing a new bill that promises to implement harsher penalties for high-value organized property crimes.

Last week, the Washington House Committee on Community Safety heard testimony about House Bill 1276, which would add 12 months to the sentence of an individual found guilty of organized retail theft of property worth $20,000 or more. The law also creates a 24-month sentencing framework if the stolen property is worth $50,000 or more.

Currently, organized retail crime is punishable by a sentence of up to 10 years, depending on the value of the goods stolen and the seriousness of the offense. An individual can be found guilty of organized retail theft if they steal or possess stolen goods from a mercantile establishment valued at $750 or more with an accomplice, if they commit property theft from such a business with a cumulative value of $750 or more within 180 days, or if they commit a property theft worth $750 or more with no less than six accomplices and make or send at least one electronic message seeking participation during the course of the theft or the planning of the theft.

Bill author Rep. Mari Leavitt, who represents the 28th District including Pierce County, said the state has dealt with a catastrophic increase in retail theft.
 
According to the Representative, a small number of criminals are thought to responsible for much of the state's retail theft losses.

"Most of that's organized retail crime-it's not the one off individual that's a crime of opportunity.... It's not somebody that's housing, insecure, cold, hungry. These are premeditated, planned, very sophisticated operations. They do not take one or two items. They take an entire shelf load of items," he added.

While there is no publicly available timeline for a vote on the bill, HB 1276 has the support of bipartisan lawmakers throughout the state. sourcingjournal.com


Another San Francisco Crime Closure
Last San Francisco Denny's closes due to crime, 'tremendous' business costs, report says
The last remaining Denny's restaurant in San Francisco closed earlier this month due to high operating costs brought on by crime, according to a report by the San Francisco Gate. The former owner of the restaurant, Chris Haque, told the outlet he closed his diner on Aug. 1 after nearly 25 years of business. The location is listed as permanently closed on Google.

People dining and dashing reportedly cut into the restaurant's profit margins. Haque also depended on conventions for some business, according to the outlet. The San Francisco Business Times in February found that Samsung, Workday and Twilio were among some companies that canceled their events for this year at the Moscone Convention Center.

Several companies have pointed to crime in the Bay Area recently as a reason for closing their stores. Last September, a Target in San Francisco announced it was shutting down because theft was harming the store's business.

"We cannot continue operating these stores because theft and organized retail crime are threatening the safety of our team and guests, and contributing to unsustainable business performance," the retailer said in a statement, adding that the company can only be successful if the working and shopping environment is safe. thenationaldesk.com


Don't be an unwitting accomplice to cargo theft: Cautionary tale

Las Vegas Police's Operating Budget Swells by $190M over Past 3 Years
 

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In Case You Missed It

RH-ISAC Announces Agenda for the 2025 Cyber Intelligence Summit

The annual Cyber Intelligence Summit brings together cybersecurity experts from diverse backgrounds to address rapidly evolving threats.

VIENNA, VA - The Retail & Hospitality Information Sharing and Analysis Center (RH-ISAC) has released the full agenda for its upcoming annual Cyber Intelligence Summit, the premier event for cybersecurity professionals working in retail, hospitality, and other consumer-facing industries. Scheduled to take place on 7-9 April in St. Louis, Missouri, the conference brings together top cybersecurity leaders and teams to participate in interactive discussions and keynote presentations on safeguarding consumer data.

The 2025 Summit will offer three distinct tracks: Tactical, Operational, and Strategic, allowing attendees to tailor their experience to their role and expertise. Each track is designed to dive deep into the latest trends, best practices, and innovations in the cybersecurity field, offering practical insights to participants across all levels of cybersecurity management.

Presentations will cover a variety of topics, including threat intelligence sharing, ransomware prevention, supply chain security, cyber threat intelligence, advanced threat detection, and more, with the goal of equipping professionals with the knowledge and tools they need to protect their organizations. The presentation topics were guided by key RH-ISAC members who helped to develop the agenda.

"The RH-ISAC Cyber Intelligence Summit agenda will once again focus on the pressing issues facing consumer-facing sectors," said Suzie Squier, president of RH-ISAC. "With the leading brands in retail, hospitality, gaming, travel, and consumer goods attending, the networking will be as unparalleled as the content."  rhisac.org
 

Atlanta, GA: West Midtown Lululemon burglarized again, this time for more than $38,000; 2 people arrested
The Lululemon store on Howell Mill Road in Atlanta was burglarized this month for tens of thousands of dollars, the second time since December it's been hit for a high-dollar shoplifting spree. The Atlanta Police Department said on Facebook on Tuesday that two people were arrested and now face multiple charges after attempting to steal more than $38,000 from the Lululemon store. The incident happened on the afternoon of Feb. 8.  11alive.com


Yakima, WA: Attempted generator theft caught on video at Washington state hardware store
A man in line at a Washington state hardware store was witness to an attempted robbery of a generator. He told KIMA that once he noticed the robbery atYakima Harbor Freight on Saturday, he immediately took out his phone and started recording the alleged thieves try to put the generator in the back of their car. As seen in the video, the generator was not going to fit in the vehicle, so the suspects drove away without the generator.  thenationaldesk.com


Philadelphia woman caught red-handed swiping merchandise from Burlington store, ICE Issues Detainer
Lower Southampton Township officers rushed to the Burlington Store on Brownsville Road on Monday, Feb. 17, after receiving reports of a retail theft in progress. Four suspects were allegedly stuffing merchandise into bags and making a break for it, authorities said. As police closed in, one suspect, 35-year-old Yudith Alexandra Suazo, was nabbed with stolen goods, officers reported. A more shocking discovery followed-a cylindrical magnetic device designed to disarm anti-theft tags, they revealed. Suazo was swiftly charged with retail theft and video arraigned before being locked up in the Bucks County Correctional Facility, officials stated. But the real bombshell came when Homeland Security intervened. Federal agents slapped an Immigration Detainer on Suazo, marking her for immediate deportation proceedings, authorities confirmed. The ICE detainer signals potential removal from the U.S., intensifying the legal stakes of her arrest.  dailyvoice.com


Kitsap County, WA: Pair accused of stealing $2,600 in merchandise from Best Buy

Fremont, CA: 4 arrested after multiple retail thefts in Fremont