NRF's VP of AP & Retail Operations Sets the Record Straight on CORCA
Opinion: Congress must ignore fearmongering and pass the ORC bill

By David Johnston, VP of Asset Protection & Retail Operations, NRF

The positive is that most agree organized retail crime is real. Where these opposing views fall short is mischaracterizing both the legislation and the criminal activity it addresses.

Over nearly 40 years, I have seen organized theft groups evolve, become more sophisticated and brazen, and exploit gaps between jurisdictions. I understand the impact these crimes have on retailers, employees, consumers and law enforcement. It is time to dispel the myths surrounding the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act and encourage the Senate to evaluate the bill based on facts, not fiction or fear.

The first myth is that the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act is about petty theft or federalizing shoplifting. It is not. Organized retail crime is not a teenager stealing a t-shirt or an individual acting out of desperation. Retailers and law enforcement have long handled local shoplifting through existing partnerships, recognizing the difference between theft driven by need and theft driven by greed. The bill targets only those orchestrating and directing large-scale theft operations, buying or fencing stolen goods and transporting or reselling them across state or national borders.

The legislation does not include the words “petty theft” or “shoplifting.” This bill is about criminal networks, not local shoplifters.

Another myth is that the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act is an unchecked surveillance bill. For decades, retailers and law enforcement have shared information tied to criminal investigations. That information typically includes evidence of theft, images supporting identification of suspects and data needed by law enforcement and prosecutors to pursue arrests and prosecutions. What is missing today is not surveillance authority but the ability to connect investigative information across cities, counties and states.

A final misconception is that the bill simply gives more power to the Department of Homeland Security, or more specifically to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The bill does place the Coordination Center within Homeland Security Investigations, and the agency does sit within ICE under Homeland Security. But that fact is often presented without necessary context. Homeland Security Investigations is already the lead investigative agency for many crimes connected to organized retail theft, including international organized theft, cargo theft, money laundering and the illegal movement of goods and contraband across borders.

On behalf of the retail industry and as a consumer, I encourage the Senate to follow the House’s lead, reject false claims and pass the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act. Organized retail crime is not ordinary shoplifting and it cannot be effectively addressed through isolated local investigations alone. The bill provides the coordination tools needed to identify, disrupt and dismantle organized criminal networks. That is the responsible path forward.  thehill.com


Will CORCA Pass the Senate Soon?
RILA Urges Senate to Pass CORCA through NDAA

RILA welcomed Senate inclusion of the Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act in the NDAA, advancing efforts to combat theft, cargo crime, and fraud.

The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) applauds the Senate for including the Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA) as an amendment to the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

“Leading retailers extend our sincere thanks to Senators Grassley and Durbin for their leadership and commitment to addressing organized retail crime and moving the Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act forward. This bipartisan bill brings together needed resources and federal coordination that will strengthen collaboration between law enforcement and industry partners to dismantle the criminal syndicate networks running cargo theft and gift card schemes and too-often violent instore theft events,” said Evan Armstrong, senior vice president of government affairs at RILA.

CORCA has strong bipartisan support from lawmakers, law enforcement and the retail industry at large. Earlier this year, RILA sent a letter to senators signed by nearly 200 organizations urging quick passage of this important bill.

“Holding the individuals and networks behind these crimes accountable will help make communities, workers, and retail stores safer. We look forward to working with Senators to see this bill pass the Senate,” said Armstrong.

RILA has been at the forefront of addressing organized retail crime by advocating for stronger legislative solutions at the federal and state level, fostering collaboration between retailers and law enforcement, leading the fight against gift card fraud and raising public awareness about the impacts of these crimes.

Advancing CORCA is an important next step in our mission to restore vibrancy to local communities. The threat posed by organized retail crime networks requires stronger coordination and information-sharing across public and private partners. CORCA provides the tools necessary for coordinated action, ensuring that law enforcement and industry partners can prosecute and dismantle the criminal enterprises orchestrating these sophisticated schemes. rila.org


Emergency Exits, Hidden Theft Risk
The Forgotten Door: Why Emergency Exits Are Becoming a Retail Security Priority

By the D&D Daily staff

Most retail security strategies focus on what happens at the front of the store—customer entrances, checkout lanes, self-checkout areas and high-value merchandise displays. But loss prevention professionals are increasingly recognizing that one of the most important security considerations may be located along the building's perimeter.

In some organized retail theft cases, emergency exits become carefully planned escape routes rather than emergency-only doors. Offenders may enter through the front of the store like any other shopper, gather merchandise over several minutes and then leave through a rear or side emergency exit where an accomplice is waiting outside.

Unlike a traditional push-out theft through the main entrance, these incidents can unfold away from employees, customers and front-facing cameras. The shortened escape route may also reduce opportunities for observation and delay awareness until after the suspects have left the property.

Because emergency exits are governed by fire and life-safety codes, retailers cannot simply increase physical security by restricting their use. Instead, many organizations rely on layered security measures designed to improve awareness without compromising emergency egress.

Those measures can include exit-door alarms, door-position sensors, integrated video surveillance, analytics that identify repeated emergency-exit activity and camera coverage extending into loading docks, service corridors and parking areas. Reviewing alarm data over time may also help identify recurring patterns tied to specific days, shifts or locations.

Employee awareness remains another important component. Associates should understand that an emergency-exit alarm may indicate more than an accidental opening and know how to report suspicious activity through established procedures while avoiding physical confrontation.

For retailers, emergency exits present a unique security challenge. They must always remain available for their intended life-safety purpose, yet they can also create opportunities for organized theft when left outside a broader security strategy. As retailers continue refining their loss prevention programs, monitoring these often-overlooked access points can provide another layer of visibility into organized theft activity while helping support safer stores for employees and customers alike.


Crime-Fighting Police Tech Making Headlines
Are Flock cameras next? Supreme Court rules against police using sprawling cell phone location data
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision restricting law enforcement’s ability to use sprawling cell phone location data is bringing to light questions about the legitimacy of Flock Safety cameras used by police in Ohio and elsewhere.

Police use “geofence warrants” to get location data of suspects’ electronic devices. “We just hope that it is not a tool that is removed from our tool belt,” Ohio Fraternal Order of Police President Jay McDonald said.

These can help solve crimes when police run out of options, he added. A new U.S. Supreme Court decision is shining a spotlight on police technology.

“We need to make apprehensions in those (cases) as quickly as possible to prevent other violent crimes from occurring,” he said.

But this ruling worries law enforcement for another reason: Flock camera surveillance. “Flock cameras are extremely important,” McDonald said. “I certainly hope that this does not have an impact on that.”

The cameras, typically used as license plate readers, have popped up all over the state and country. They are facing increasing pushback, especially online and at city council meetings. ohiocapitaljournal.com


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