Solution to the Theft Epidemic? Penalties, Enforcement & Prosecution
Op-Ed: Stealing is the New Epidemic
Talk to retailers in just about any part of the United States and they will tell you that retail theft and vandalism have reached crisis proportions. Rather than being the small percentage that stores have been able to absorb in the past as “the cost of doing business,” it has gotten to the point where major retailers are closing stores or in some cases, going out of business altogether.

The question is, why has retail theft gotten so out of control at this point in time? While the lion’s share of the blame lies obviously with the criminals, a regrettably large share falls squarely on elected officials who create and institute public policy that deals with crime and punishment.

One of the most egregious examples of the theft epidemic is San Francisco. Thanks to California’s Proposition 47, which raised the monetary limit from $400 to $950 to which a person could be charged with a felony for theft, criminals have been operating with virtual impunity. This was done, incredibly, to allow for inflation and a spike in the cost of living. Criminals are well aware of this and know that if they keep their thefts under the magic $950 limit, they will be charged with a misdemeanor, if they are even caught at all. In turn, if it gets to court it will most likely be dismissed with little or no punishment.

The answer to the epidemic of retail theft is three-fold: increase penalties at every stage, institute unrelenting enforcement at the ground level followed by vigorous prosecution with stiff penalties. Unless there is a serious legislative deterrent coupled with aggressive arrest and prosecution, criminals will simply laugh and continue the crime spree that has beset every supermarket chain and many other retailers across the state. In addition to the cost to businesses, the consumer also shares in the pain through higher prices and less shopping options.

A great first step would be to pass the suite of Organized Retail Theft (OTR) bills of which my colleague Assemblywoman Vicky Flynn and I are proud to be co-sponsors. This package of bills would increase penalties for shoplifting, protect retail workers from assault, create designated units to fight retail theft and target the organizers of the theft rings. These initiatives are not partisan, just common sense that should be embraced by both sides of the aisle.  savejersey.com

 
'Coordinated Action' is Key to Fighting Theft
Collaborative Efforts to Curb Retail Theft Epidemic
As retail theft rates soar to unprecedented levels, a recent gathering highlights the urgency for comprehensive solutions. Coordinated action from industry leaders and law enforcement is pivotal, particularly during the bustling holiday season.

• A formidable alliance was formed to tackle the surge in retail crime, with experts and officials uniting to strategise.

• This discussion was spearheaded by x-hoppers, amidst rising concerns of retail crime reported by a significant 61% of shoppers.

• Police officials, retail experts, and business owners collectively addressed the pressing need for enhanced communication and reporting.

• Retailer adoption of AI technology was championed as a critical step in safeguarding businesses and consumers alike.

In a groundbreaking meeting led by x-hoppers, industry leaders and law enforcement officials convened to confront the alarming rise in retail crime, coinciding with the looming holiday shopping season. This critical discussion underscored the dire need for effective strategies to protect both businesses and consumers from escalating theft incidents. Recent findings highlighted a 46% increase in shoplifting over the past year, amounting to losses estimated at £7.9 billion annually.

Superintendent Holdaway stressed the community-wide impact of retail theft, advocating for enhanced communication between retailers and law enforcement to improve enforcement efforts amidst resource constraints. “If we don’t know about crime, we can’t fight it. This is a community issue,” he stated. financial-news.co.uk

 
California's Retail Crime Task Force Recovers $8M in 2024
CHP retail crime task force recovers more than $8 million in stolen goods
Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that California’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force (ORCTF), led by the California Highway Patrol (CHP), continues its work to tamp down on organized retail theft operations statewide. This year, the task force has conducted 621 investigations statewide leading to 1,123 arrests and recovered 269,992 stolen items valued at $8.1 million.

Since the inception of the task force in 2019, the CHP has been involved in more than 3,000 investigations leading to the arrest of 3,223 suspects and the recovery of over 880,276 stolen goods valued at nearly $46 million.

“The California Highway Patrol commends our retail theft investigation teams for their exceptional work in dismantling organized theft rings and protecting businesses across the state,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. “They prevent significant losses and ensure that those who target retailers are brought to justice. Their dedication, skill, and teamwork are critical in keeping our communities and economy safe.”

In September alone, CHP recovered 1,995 stolen items worth more than $306,553.

This effort led by the CHP is part of Governor Newsom’s comprehensive approach to combat organized retail crime, which includes new measures to crack down on property crime and creates unprecedented funding for police and prosecutors in local communities. gov.ca.gov


Where the Presidential Candidates Stand on Crime
On crime and justice, Trump and Harris records differ widely
Both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris say they take crime seriously. Trump and the Republicans have focused attention on the problem of illegal immigration and the crimes that he says immigrants commit. Harris, as The Economist noted, “is using her history as a prosecutor in San Francisco to burnish her tough-on-crime bona fides.”

Kamala Harris, the prosecutor

Harris has a long record of working in the criminal justice system. She worked in the Alameda County district attorney’s office in California, starting in 1990. She then served as district attorney in San Francisco from 2004 to 2010 and as attorney general of California from 2010 to 2017, when she was elected to the U.S. Senate.

Axios reported that during her term as district attorney, “the number of violent crimes rose steadily in the city of San Francisco during her first five years in office then fell 15% in her last two years.” And when she served as the state’s attorney general, “the violent crime rate in the state was 439.6 per 100,000 residents the year before she took office and fell to 396.4 by 2014. … However, violent crime surged to 444.8 in 2016 during her last year in office to a six-year high,” Axios reported.

In both offices, Harris undertook a number of reforms in criminal justice policy.

Donald Trump’s record as president

After a long time without any federal executions, the Trump administration carried out 13 of them in the last seven months of his term. ProPublica said Trump’s administration ”executed more federal prisoners than any presidency since Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s" and more than the prior 10 presidents combined.

In other areas, the Trump administration stepped in to stop some criminal justice reform initiatives.

But during his presidency, Trump was not consistent in being tough on crime. For instance, in March 2018, he signed an executive order creating the Federal Interagency Crime Prevention and Improving Reentry Council. theconversation.com


Fighting Retail Crime in the UK: Arrests Up, Crime Down
UK: Business Action Week highlights retail crime

The continuing struggle of retailers against shop crime is being highlighted in Safer Business Action Week, which began Oct. 14

Nisa is among the symbol groups taking part, by highlighting what its retailers can do to deter and minimise shop theft and anti-social behaviour. Among Nisa’s recommendations is working more closely with local police, which can help retailers “gain access to additional resources”.

The results of this have been more arrests, greater community awareness, and a notable reduction in crime.

Nisa also advises retailers to use modern security systems if possible, invest in staff training, and work with local organisations “such as food banks and the Salvation Army” to address the social issues that often underly petty crime.

Benedict Selvaratnam, owner of Freshfields Market in Croydon, south London, has done this and said: “It’s about more than just preventing crime; we want to be part of the solution.”  talkingretail.com


UK: Police take a stand against retail crime following national rise

Hochul deploys state troopers to NYC’s ‘Market of Sweethearts’ to clean up crime-infested block
 

1,200 Walgreens Closures - Part of 'Turnaround Effort'
Walgreens is closing 1,200 stores over next three years

Walgreens reported a $3 billion loss in its fourth-quarter fiscal 2024 results.

The US pharmacy giant Walgreens announced Tuesday that it will close 1,200 stores across the US over the next three years as part of its turnaround effort. Five hundred locations are set to close next year.

"We also want to be accessible and convenient, but we need to be appropriately sized," CEO Tim Wentworth said during the company's fourth-quarter earnings call on Tuesday. The company said earlier this year that it planned to close a "significant" number of its roughly 8,700 locations in the US.

Wentworth told analysts on the firm's quarterly earnings call in June that "changes are imminent" for the 25% of Walgreens stores that were underperforming. The company's chief financial officer, Manmohan Mahajan, explained on the earnings call that the closures were targeted toward locations with negative cash flow, underperforming locations where Walgreens owned the real estate, and others where leases were expiring. businessinsider.com
 

'Modest' Holiday Sales Growth Coming
NRF: Holiday sales, led by e-commerce, may grow to $990 billion in 2024
The National Retail Federation (NRF) is predicting modest holiday sales growth, with top estimates reaching about $990 billion in spending.

NRF is forecasting that holiday spending is expected to grow between 2.5% and 3.5% over 2023, which equates to between $979.5 billion and $989 billion in total holiday spending in November and December, compared with $955.6 billion during the same timeframe last year.

NRF expects the primary contributor of overall retail sales growth will be from online shopping. Online and other non-store sales, which are included in the total, are expected to increase between 8% and 9% to a total of between $295.1 billion and $297.9 billion. This figure is up from $273.3 billion last year. By comparison, last year non-store sales rose 10.7% over 2022. chainstoreage.com


True Value files for Chapter 11

Nearly half of holiday shoppers plan to shop in stores