Rising violence associated with organized retail crime demands Senate passage of the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act.Organized retail crime is not merely a property crime issue. It is a growing public safety threat. The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed CORCA in May. It is now time for the Senate to pass CORCA without delay.Across the country, retail employees, customers, transportation providers, and law enforcement are facing more aggressive and sophisticated criminal networks that steal goods, move them across state and international lines, and resell them for profit. Those profits from retail theft are used for more nefarious crimes, including drugs, guns, and human trafficking.
The stolen redistribution of products like medicines and perishable goods threatens public health and safety. These items may not be properly stored, and expiration dates may be falsely changed as they travel through illicit distribution channels.
These are not isolated incidents of shoplifting or individual acts of opportunistic theft. They are coordinated operations that rely on intimidation, fraud, and violence. NRF studies have shown that violence and aggression tied to these crimes have increased since 2022.
