Retail Vandalism and Smash-and-Grab:
What We Know about Retail Perimeter Security

Interface’s Virtual Perimeter Guard delivers proactive outdoor defence by combining AI detection, automated deterrence, and live human intervention. Virtual Perimeter Guard extends Interface’s indoor Virtual Security Guard platform, giving retailers continuous coverage from curb to cash wrap.

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Trick or Treat? Property Crime Spikes on Halloween Night
'Halloween is a perfect time to commit property crime'

Survive the Night. The Dangers of Halloween.
With the increase of crimes on Halloween, and the risk of drunk drivers, there’s a lot of dangers that we should be aware of. After all, it doesn’t hurt to know the risks so you can make your Halloween as fun and safe as you possibly can.

According to Scott Humphrey, a Travelers Risk Control handler, “There are 17% more crime related claims on Halloween.” A professor from Northeastern University believes “violent crimes increase by as much as 50% on Halloween, which is two times the daily average.”

We may wonder why these crimes are significantly more common. For further information on the matter I asked Dr. Jim Bodle, a psychology professor here at Mount St. Joseph. The reasons he believed there could be a spike in Halloween were the following.

He believed Halloween would give a criminal “extra opportunities” to commit a crime because “houses are typically left open and people who are home are distracted.” Bodle suggested the idea that “Halloween is thought of as a trash night, people think it’s all right to do property crime”.

Building on this, he continued, “Halloween is suggested to be a night of tricks, and that may suggest to people that it’s okay to do property crime.” He made it a point as well to acknowledge that “Parents may drive their children to an area to go trick-or-treating, and leave their cars parked and unattended in unusual spaces, and may even forget to lock them.”

Ultimately it would seem that Halloween is a perfect time to commit property crime, especially given the idea that people are often in costume during Halloween. Bodle also proposed the idea of “deindividuation,” the process where one's identity with a group or person overrides their own identities and or self-awareness. Bodle suggests this may be another contributing factor to the increased crime rate. msj.edu


More Work to Do to Fight ORC
Progress is made but work continues to combat organized retail crime

NRF continues to advance efforts to fight ORC through advocacy, research and collaboration

With a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing under our belt and a majority of House Judiciary Committee members backing the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (H.R. 2853/S. 1404), NRF, its members and other stakeholders are building momentum toward a national strategy to disrupt and dismantle organized retail crime networks.

This month, the National Retail Federation celebrated two major milestones in the fight against ORC: David Johnston, NRF’s vice president of asset protection and retail operations, was named a Coalition of Law Enforcement and Retail’s ORC Advocate of the Year, and the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act now has more than 200 bipartisan co-sponsors across both chambers of Congress, reflecting strong across-the-aisle commitment to a coordinated federal response to support state and local law enforcement to address ORC.

Escalating theft and violence

New findings underscore how serious this challenge has become. According to “The Impact of Theft & Violence 2025,” a joint study by NRF and the Loss Prevention Research Council sponsored by Sensormatic Solutions, retailers reported an 18% increase in shoplifting incidents. Violence is also on the rise, with 17% reporting an increase in threats or acts of violence associated with those incidents from 2023 to 2024.

A global issue

The threat is also increasingly global in scope: 67% of retailers said transnational ORC groups were involved in thefts against their company last year. Respondents to the study said that a shortage of law enforcement and prosecutorial resources remain major obstacles. They indicated that many cases require coordination across jurisdictions, retailers and agencies, all of which record incidents differently.

Advancing real solutions

NRF continues to lead the charge to protect retailers and consumers through advocacy, research and industry collaboration. At the heart of that effort is the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, a bill that would streamline information sharing among key law enforcement, agencies and the private sector.  nrf.com


Will SNAP Benefit Suspension Lead to 'Mass Theft Events'?
If the SNAP Benefits Cutoff Results in Violence, It Wouldn’t Be the First Time

With SNAP benefits are expected to stop for millions, some folks on TikTok say they will take matters into their own hands on Nov. 3.

SNAP benefits tie directly into folks’ ability to feed themselves and their families, so it should come as no surprise that some are worried about violence and unrest should they be cut. History shows us it would be expected.

Indeed, folks are already flooding social media with videos threatening to rob stores in order to steal food. @hersheyykissess1 took to TikTok to announce a mass theft event in response to the federal pause.

“Public service announcement. We have to stick together!! go to your nearest Walmart 6:30/7:30 Nov/3 don’t be scared,” she wrote in her TikTok caption. She encouraged folks to walk out the store with the stolen items and run because, “The thing is, they can’t catch everybody.”

As much as we hope that the benefits aren’t cut and that violence won’t result here in the U.S., there’s no reason to believe that we’d be exempt from violence and unrest.

Societies without food are more at risk of an increase in violent crime, rising healthcare costs, mental health problems and a decrease in economic productivity, experts say. These food insecurity symptoms often cause uprisings and “food riots,” as evident by the Revolutionary War. theroot.com


Alberta's Shoplifting Crisis:
Repeat offenders behind most crimes?

Police in Alberta say a large portion of retail crime is perpetrated by recidivist criminals and crime groups.

Police in several Alberta jurisdictions participated in a recent national retail crime blitz in partnership with the Retail Council of Canada. In total, 51 arrests were made, with 27 being repeated offenders.

Police say results of the retail crime blitz suggest that a large portion of retail crime is perpetrated by recidivist criminals and crime groups willing to commit violent acts.

“Retail Council of Canada and its members appreciate and thank RCMP for making retail crime a priority and collaborating with the retailers on targeted enforcement projects to disrupt repeat prolific offenders and organized retail crime groups,” said Rui Rodrigues from the Retail Council of Canada.

“Retailers across the province are seeing increased violence and huge costs related to shoplifting, which ultimately get passed on to law-abiding citizens” said S/Sgt Luke Halvorson, Community Safety and Wellbeing Branch. “This retail crime blitz was a snapshot of what’s happening out in the community, in which recidivist criminals and crime groups are often behind this type of crime.” lakelandtoday.ca


States Battle Repeat Retail Crime Offenders
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez Announces Prison Time for Habitual Retail Crime Offender Convicted in Three Different Counties
“Retail crime affects New Mexicans every day – from higher prices to products being locked behind cages – and even dangerous encounters in parking lots,” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “Our Organized Retail Crime Unit is dedicated to identifying these habitual offenders wreaking havoc on our retail businesses in New Mexico and prosecuting them to the fullest extent of the law. Our office will not tolerate those who steal retail goods, affecting business owners and everyday New Mexicans.”

The New Mexico Department of Justice (NMDOJ) Organized Retail Crime Unit took on this case after investigating over 50 separate shoplifting incidents at Home Depot and Lowe’s stores in Bernalillo, Sandoval and Valencia Counties. Defendant has extensive criminal history dating back to the 1970s and has recent criminal history involving shoplifting. nmdoj.gov


More NRF Report news: US retailers struggle as theft gangs expand operations

Alexandria crime rates trending down, according to APD data report

New data shows Burlington crime down as city expands safety resources