Urgent action is needed as the fight against ORC intensifies

The implications of organized retail crime are far-reaching, and the urgency of addressing ORC has never been greater. In recent years, retailers across the United States have reported a sharp increase in the frequency and scale of retail crimes involving or associated with ORC groups.

What’s even more concerning is the increase in violence tied to these crimes. More than two-thirds of respondents to NRF’s 2023 National Retail Security Survey said they had seen even more violence and aggression from ORC perpetrators compared with a year ago.

“The ORC problem we have in the U.S. has certainly grown,” says Scott McBride, chief global asset protection officer with American Eagle Outfitters, “and it’s affecting every single community that we operate in as a collective group of retailers.”

Coordinated criminal efforts

It can be hard to grasp the vast impact of ORC. The following is a sample of the threats and realities retailers, employees and law enforcement faced in August alone:

• After a multi-agency investigation of a three-year scheme involving over $2.3 million worth of stolen merchandise in southern Arizona, authorities arrested two suspects. The individuals are believed to have sold the stolen goods to a retailer in Connecticut, resulting in an estimated $475,000 in profits from these illicit transactions.
• Four suspects robbed a high-end department store in Ohio and made off with merchandise valued at $196,770 — in just three minutes.
• Two men left an Alabama store with $11,000 worth of electronics in bags; authorities now believe they are connected to over 20 thefts at other locations nationwide.

ORC involves coordinated efforts by criminal enterprises that plan and execute thefts on a grand scale. These groups utilize individuals to commit retail theft and fraud on their behalf. They prey on unhoused and drug-addicted communities to steal the products for pennies on the dollar. And they use the profits from the sale of these stolen goods for more nefarious purposes.

Organized retail crime groups often employ advanced techniques to evade detection, including the use of technology, insider knowledge and organized networks. The impact of ORC extends beyond immediate financial losses, affecting everything from store operations and employee safety to broader economic implications and community well-being.

A unified approach

Addressing this issue requires a multifaceted approach that includes enhanced security measures, legislative action and collaborative efforts between retailers, law enforcement and policymakers — a need lawmakers answered by introducing the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (H.R. 895/ S. 140).

McBride has constructed a world-class asset protection program across five continents over the past two and a half decades. His experience has made him an authority in the creation of corporate security postures.

As intricate retail theft rings have progressed, McBride has grown increasingly more vocal in the push to create a unified government and industry approach to address this trend. His mission? “To add a layer to the work that every single asset protection professional or business owner is doing to protect their business, customers and employees,” he says, “not only from theft and increased prices due to losses but also from the increased violence associated with this type of crime in our retail shops.”

Facilitating information exchange

One of CORCA’s central provisions is the establishment of a new Organized Retail Crime Coordination Center within the Department of Homeland Security. This center would serve as a hub for information sharing and coordination between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, retail businesses and other stakeholders.

By facilitating the exchange of data and intelligence, the center would enable a more coordinated and effective response to ORC, helping to identify and dismantle criminal networks more effectively. One hundred and fifty bipartisan co-sponsors from both chambers of Congress have recognized the scale and sophistication of ORC, but more decisive action is needed to get CORCA across the finish line.

Retailers’ need for the advancement of the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act is urgent, and the continued denial of ORC’s existence has done nothing to make the problem disappear. Retailers, states and localities have invested billions into curbing these crimes, but stalled federal solutions have allowed this stubborn challenge to metastasize.

NRF’s Fight Retail Crime Day returns on Oct. 24 to mobilize the retail community to advocate for effective solutions in combating this problem. Get a head start by telling Congress to pass the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act today.