Shoplifting Still 48% Higher in CA Than Pre-COVID
Violent crime rate dropped by 5.5% and property crime rate fell by 10%

Overall Crime in California Fell Last Year, but Shoplifting Continued to Rise
Violent and property crime rates decreased in 2024, most notably homicide, car break-ins, auto theft, and theft of car accessories. Most crime categories are now at or below pre-pandemic levels and California’s property crime rate is at its lowest level in three decades. However, despite decreases last year, aggravated assaults are still above 2019 numbers, and shoplifting continued to increase and is now 48% higher than it was before the pandemic.

The California Department of Justice recently released 2024 crime numbers. Some caution is warranted when comparing this new data to 2023, a year in which an unusually large number of law enforcement agencies in the state did not report data for all months of the year, and Oakland Police Department’s data included a substantial error in the reported number of aggravated assaults. Our analysis makes adjustments to address these issues.

The latest numbers point toward decreases in most crimes compared to 2023, with the violent crime rate dropping by 5.5% and the property crime rate falling by 10%. All four violent crime categories (homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assaults) saw decreases in 2024. However, the violent crime rate is still 9.6% above the pre-pandemic level, and is driven by aggravated assaults.

The property crime rate is now at its lowest level since at least 1985. Notably, auto thefts fell by 16.8% in 2024, the first year-over-year decrease since 2019. But auto thefts remain 19.1% higher than 2019 levels.

A look at monthly crime numbers gives us an opportunity to identify possible recent swings in crime trends. The data shows that commercial burglaries continued to decrease in 2024 and were slightly below pre-pandemic levels in the second half of the year. The notable increase in shoplifting, however, appears to have continued through last year. With a 13.8% increase in 2024, shoplifting is up by 47.5% compared to 2019. Combining reported shoplifting and commercial burglary incidents shows that retail theft increased by 3% in 2024 and is now 22.8% higher than in 2019. ppic.org
 

Streamlining ORC Investigations
Collaboration and Evidence-Sharing Solutions Help Combat ORC
To help retailers combat organized retail crime (ORC) and repeat offenders intending to resell stolen goods, federal lawmakers recently reintroduced the bipartisan Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025. The bill aims to establish new tools to mitigate retail theft, recover stolen goods, and deter future attacks across the enterprise.

While legislative efforts may help bolster collaboration and maximize efforts to combat ORC, retail organizations can maximize those initiatives by using their security systems to simplify data sharing and streamline investigations.

Easily Collect Evidence

Gathering forensic information for investigations is key to fighting ORC. With a unified security system, retail loss prevention teams can easily gather evidence, spot theft patterns, identify suspicious activity, and share evidence from multiple sources.

A unified system's components use shared core building blocks, such as maps, schedules, users and privileges. Events and data from all connected sensors and systems are aggregated and visualized in a single user interface. The result is a security solution that looks like a single system and brings applications and sensors from multiple providers onto one platform.

Securely Share Data … With a Few Clicks

Video and other evidence that retailers gather help build strong cases for investigations and prosecutions. Forensic data sharing must be simple, secure and cost effective. To combat ORC with an eye on efficiency and effectiveness, retailers need:

• easy-to-use technology to securely share video and other evidence with law enforcement;

• the capacity to retain evidence for the minimum standards of criminal and civil cases; and

• the ability to maintain privileged access and verify the integrity of evidence.

Digital evidence management systems (DEMS) can remove the pain points of data sharing and collaboration. With DEMS, you can use a web-based platform to store and share video or other data securely.

Combating ORC Through Unified Solutions: mytotalretail.com


ORC Bill Picking Up Momentum After Senate Hearing
CORCA gains bipartisan support to tackle organized retail crime in US

Backed by 260+ businesses, 38 attorneys general, and major industry groups, CORCA seeks swift passage to protect supply chains, workers, and public safety across the US.

The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA) is gaining momentum following a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing chaired by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).

CORCA aims to enhance collaboration between law enforcement and the retail industry, improve data sharing, and provide stronger tools to investigate and prosecute retail and supply chain crimes. With 26 bipartisan Senate co-sponsors and endorsements from 38 state attorneys general, the bill has garnered wide support from over 260 businesses and numerous national associations, United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary said in a press release.

Retailers, law enforcement agencies, and logistics leaders have come forward to urge the swift passage of CORCA. The National Retail Federation and its business coalition called the legislation a ‘commonsense’ and ‘essential’ step in protecting public safety and safeguarding consumer access to goods. Similarly, the National Association of Attorneys General noted that the bill would supply necessary resources to combat this ‘nationwide epidemic’.

Law enforcement backing was echoed by the National Police Association, which praised CORCA for enabling unified efforts between the public and private sectors. The American Trucking Association highlighted the growing risk to truck drivers from cargo theft and endorsed the bill as a tool to bolster federal enforcement.

State-level stakeholders expressed similar sentiments. Brenda Neville, president of the Iowa Motor Truck Association, commended the bill’s impact on securing freight and protecting Iowa workers. In Illinois, a state ranking among the top three in cargo thefts, Matt Hart of the Illinois Trucking Association called on Senator Durbin to back the legislation, while California’s trucking industry also voiced strong support. fibre2fashion.com


Trucking Industry Calls Cargo Theft a 'Crisis', Demands Action
Skyrocketing cargo theft: US trucking pushes Congress for solutions

A leading, nationwide trucking company has told the United States Senate Judiciary Committee that cargo theft is a crisis impacting the entire supply chain – to the tune of USD 35 billion annually – that requires immediate action from Congress.

IMC Logistics Chief Strategy Officer Donna Lemm has testified on behalf of IRU member the American Trucking Associations (ATA) in support of the Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act. This act would establish a coordinated multi-agency response and equip law enforcement with new resources to address a surge in cargo theft incidents happening across the country.

“Rising cargo theft is affecting the trucking industry across the United States. We cannot stay silent,” said Donna Lemm. “Cargo theft will continue to metastasise unless Congress recognises the severity of the problem, law enforcement devotes sufficient time and resources, and the federal government takes a leading role in coordinating enforcement efforts.”

Senators on the subcommittee launched the hearing to investigate these proliferating criminal enterprises that are costing the supply chain up to USD 35 billion annually while raising consumer prices and insurance costs. Strategic theft – a form of cargo theft that involves deception, fraud, cybertheft, and other sophisticated tactics – has risen 1,500% since the first quarter of 2021, and the average value per theft is over USD 200,000.

Lemm provided numerous examples of the challenges that motor carriers are facing, not only as they struggle to thwart the onslaught of cargo theft, but also the difficulty of reporting incidents when they occur. Local police typically classify cargo theft as vandalism and consider it an insurance matter. As a result, patterns of lawbreaking behaviour across jurisdictions and connections to transnational criminal organisations are often missed. iru.org


Neighbors frustrated by violence even as DC police data shows crime is down

What the data — and SAPD chief — say about San Antonio crime
 

Demand for Skilled LP Pros is Growing
Attracting Top Talent in a Competitive LP Field

By the D&D Daily staff

As the retail landscape evolves, the demand for skilled loss prevention (LP) professionals continues to grow — and so does the competition to hire them. From organized retail crime to fraud and cybersecurity threats, today’s LP leaders are expected to wear multiple hats, blending investigative expertise with data fluency and cross-departmental collaboration.

But attracting top-tier talent in this increasingly complex field isn’t as simple as posting a job and waiting. According to industry insiders, retailers looking to build strong LP teams must rethink how they recruit, train and retain professionals in a competitive market.

Rethinking the Job Description

One key strategy is updating job postings to reflect the dynamic, strategic nature of modern LP roles. “Candidates want to see opportunities for impact,” said one LP recruiter. “Highlighting the use of technology, cross-functional work and upward mobility can help attract professionals who may not have considered LP as a long-term career path.”

Retailers are also finding success by looking beyond traditional talent pools. Veterans, cybersecurity analysts and data-driven operations managers are increasingly being recruited into LP roles, particularly when companies emphasize professional development and hands-on training.

Competitive Compensation and Career Paths

Salary transparency, performance-based incentives and defined career pathways are critical factors in recruitment and retention. Retailers that invest in certifications, leadership development and clear internal promotion tracks often report higher engagement and lower turnover within their LP teams.

“Top performers want to grow,” said an LP executive at a national chain. “If you can’t show them a path forward, they’ll find one elsewhere.”

Culture and Recognition Matter

Workplace culture is another differentiator. A strong safety culture, visible executive support for LP, and recognition programs for field teams all contribute to stronger recruitment pipelines and long-term retention.

In a competitive LP landscape, the retailers that succeed in hiring and keeping top talent are those that treat LP as a strategic function — not just a line of defense. By investing in people and positioning loss prevention as a forward-looking career, companies can build stronger teams ready to tackle today’s evolving challenges.


Retailers Try to Skirt Tariffs
Lululemon and Vuori turn to international markets to avoid tariffs
Athleisure brands lululemon athletica and Vuori are expanding their presence overseas as the US market cools. Lululemon opened its first store in Italy in late July, marking a “significant step” in the brand’s international expansion. Vuori will open its first stores in Seoul and Beijing this fall, the company told Retail Dive, as part of a push to have 100 stores worldwide by year’s end.

Expanding overseas offers clear benefits from a tariff perspective, since sales in international markets are—for the most part—not subject to duties.

For lululemon especially, new markets like Italy could offer a respite from the sluggishness the company is experiencing in the US. The brand is contending with weaker store traffic and higher markdowns for its core assortment in its largest market—not to mention tougher competition from the likes of Vuori and Alo Yoga.

With the US market looking increasingly uncertain, it’s no surprise that brands like lululemon and Vuori are looking to international markets to shift growth into a new gear. This trend will likely pick up among apparel brands this year, as they look for ways to mitigate the impact of tariffs and reduce their reliance on US shoppers. content-naf.emarketer.com


Is Consumer Gloom Fading?
Consumer sentiment inches up in July as inflation expectations improve
The University of Michigan’s preliminary sentiment index for July edged up to 61.8 in July from 60.7 in June. It was the highest reading in five months, but remains 16% below December 2024 and well below its historical average.

The improvement in sentiment came as year-ahead inflation expectations fell for a second straight month, falling from 5.0% last month to 4.4% this month. Long-run inflation expectations receded for the third consecutive month, falling back from 4.0% in June to 3.6% in July. chainstoreage.com


ICSC: Consumers heading to stores for back-to-school shopping
Nearly half (48%) of U.S. adults will make back-to-school purchases this year, according to ICSC's 2025 Back-to-School Consumer Survey. The majority (59%) expect to purchase most of their items in physical stores, up from 54% who said the same in 2024. Only 17% plan to shop fully online.

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