It's 'CIS Week' on the D&D Daily! Follow along in the 'Vendor Spotlight' column below as CIS showcases LP/AP solutions for the retail industry

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The U.S. Crime Surge
The Retail Impact

High-Volume Organized Retail Theft
How Organized Retail Crime Groups Are Leveraging “Low-Value, High-Volume” Theft Strategies

By the D&D Daily staff

While smash-and-grab incidents often dominate headlines, loss prevention professionals say many organized retail crime (ORC) groups are increasingly shifting toward a quieter but highly effective tactic: low-value, high-volume theft.

Rather than targeting high-end merchandise in dramatic grab-and-run incidents, some ORC networks are focusing on everyday consumer products that can be stolen repeatedly in smaller quantities without immediately triggering attention from store personnel. Items such as health and beauty products, over-the-counter medications, baby formula, razors, and household essentials have become common targets due to their steady demand and ease of resale.

Industry investigators say the strategy allows organized groups to operate with less risk while maintaining consistent profits. Individuals involved in these operations may enter stores multiple times per week, taking small quantities of merchandise during each visit. Because each incident involves relatively low dollar values, the activity may appear similar to routine shoplifting unless patterns are identified over time.

Once collected, the merchandise is typically aggregated through coordinated networks and resold through secondary markets. Online marketplaces, social media platforms, and informal resale channels have become common outlets for these goods, enabling organized groups to distribute stolen products quickly and across a wide geographic area.

Loss prevention professionals note that the challenge for retailers lies in identifying patterns across stores and locations. Individual incidents may appear minor, but when repeated across multiple stores and regions, the cumulative losses can be substantial. This dynamic has prompted many retailers to invest in centralized case management systems and data analytics tools that can identify repeat offenders, track product trends, and connect incidents that might otherwise appear unrelated.

Law enforcement agencies and retail coalitions are also increasingly collaborating to address this form of organized theft. By sharing information across jurisdictions and retail organizations, investigators can build stronger cases that demonstrate the organized nature of the activity rather than treating incidents as isolated shoplifting events.

As ORC groups continue to adapt their tactics, retail security experts say understanding the evolving methods behind these operations remains critical. While high-profile theft events attract attention, the steady accumulation of smaller, coordinated incidents may represent one of the most persistent organized retail crime challenges facing retailers today.


The War on Black Market Crime
USA-IT Unites State Leaders to Combat the Growing Threat of Illegal Trade in Massachusetts

Public officials and business leaders address emerging threats and policy solutions to disrupt black-market crime

United to Safeguard America from Illegal Trade (USA-IT) – a nationwide coalition supported by national and state brand enforcement experts, law enforcement, leading industry associations, and civic organizations – convened a roundtable forum today in Worcester to identify cross-sector solutions to combat organized retail theft, counterfeiting, and other forms of illegal trade impacting Massachusetts communities.

Massachusetts' geographic position as a coastal hub makes the Commonwealth particularly vulnerable to black-market activity. Reports indicate that organized retail theft costs businesses in the state approximately $2 billion annually. In just one enforcement operation last month, local authorities in Lawrence seized nearly $500,000 worth of counterfeit name-brand merchandise, highlighting the scale and sophistication of illegal operations in the state.

Participants examined evolving tactics used by organized retail theft rings, including the use of technology to coordinate theft and distribute ill-gotten goods through seemingly legitimate marketplaces. Attendees also discussed state policies and proposals that create opportunities for illicit markets, including the 2018 increase of the felony threshold for larceny from $250 to $1,200 as well as the recently introduced Nicotine-Free Generation (NFG) bill.

Mike Kane, Economic Development Associate for the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce stated, "Storefronts across the Commonwealth are sounding the alarm about criminals stealing up to $1,200 with minimal penalty, taking away sales and endangering their customers and community. Those here must work in lockstep to protect our local economy and ensure policies align with public safety." finance.yahoo.com


California's Theft Crackdown in the News
As Major Crime Falls In Cities, CA Cracks Down On Retail Theft: Newsom

The governor also said crime is down in every major city in the state when comparing 2025 crime rates to 2024.

More than 33,000 stolen items valued at $3.3 million have been recovered by California's Organized Retail Crime Task Force since the start of 2026, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Tuesday. The crackdown comes as major crime is falling statewide, according to the governor.

Newsom also said crime is down in every major city in the state, citing recent statistics comparing 2025 crime rates to 2024 which indicate a 19.3 percent drop in homicides, and a 19.8% decline in robberies. Reported rapes were also down by 8.8 percent, as well as aggravated assaults by 9.7 percent, according to data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association.

Oakland and San Francisco have experienced the sharpest declines in crime, falling by 25 percent and 21 percent, respectively.

Since 2019, the state has invested $2.1 billion to fight crime, hire more local police personnel, and improve public safety, Newsom said.

Newsom established the task force in 2019 to align local law enforcement, district attorneys, and retailers amid a rash of flash mob retail thefts. The recent operation was spearheaded by the California Highway Patrol. As part of the operation, 75 investigations were conducted and 33 people were arrested, Newsom said. patch.com


The Great Debate Over Crime-Fighting License-Plate Cameras
San Jose: Council moves ahead with new guardrails on license-plate cameras

Mayor, council members broadly support preserving 474 Flock Systems cameras installed in the city, in the face of fierce opposition from civil liberties advocates

The City Council is moving ahead with tighter restraints on its vast network of automated license-plate reader cameras, a strong nod toward preserving the polarizing technology as other Bay Area jurisdictions have sought to curtail it altogether.

Council members unanimously approved limits instituted and proposed by the San Jose Police Department, aimed at shrinking the period it keeps plate images recorded by the 474 Flock Systems cameras installed throughout the city and restricting access to federal and immigration agencies. The council’s backing came as civil-liberties groups maintain their opposition to what they call the normalization of warrantless surveillance of citizens.

Before all 10 councilmembers and Mayor Matt Mahan endorsed the changes, they heard from more than 80 speakers during public comment for the agenda item, with about 60% opposing continued use of the Flock cameras against 40% who credited the technology with evening the odds against crimes in a city with a thinly staffed police force. mercurynews.com


Las Vegas ranks 6th in retail crime, lawmakers and retailers fight back

Roanoke Police Department discusses early 2026 crime data