Crime continues to be a major problem for businesses large and small across the country. Federal, state, and local officials have pursued anti-crime efforts but further action is needed. Here are the Chamber's policy recommendations.
"Like most areas, the COVID-19 pandemic changed the times and frequency customers visit our shop, which has impacted our operations. We’ve also seen a rise in crime, both stealing and property damage at our shop and in the neighborhood, as well as an increase in trash, abandoned personal belongings, drug paraphernalia, and human waste in the areas around our shop."
Communities and businesses large and small across the United States are facing a significant increase in retail theft and organized retail crime that requires the swift response of policymakers.
Congress passed the Integrity, Notification, and Fairness Online (INFORM) Consumers Act to require disclosure of high-volume third-party sellers in online marketplaces and establish transparency to minimize the coordinated exploitation of online marketplaces
The federal government must now enforce these changes and provide support to states and local prosecutors.
Congress and the states must act to stop organized retail theft
States should take action to prosecute organized retail theft by passing legislation to enable the aggregation and prosecution of offenses across state lines, and by establishing statewide task forces to take down organized retail theft rings.
States need to more clearly define the crime “organized retail theft” to provide prosecutors with the tools to target organized theft rings, which differ greatly from the average shoplifter.
States also need to adjust the thresholds for the value of goods stolen to trigger a felony charge to prevent thieves from avoiding prosecution and heavier charges. States can further address this through passing legislation allowing for the aggregation of a pattern of organized thefts across multiple jurisdictions over a period of time.
Retail crime creates higher prices for consumers, results in stores having to close their doors, and communities left without vital goods and services.
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This Hill letter was sent to the House Oversight Committee's Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence, for the hearing, "From Festive Cheer to Retail Fear: Addressing Organized Retail Crime."
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Crime continues to be a major problem for businesses large and small across the country. Federal, state, and local officials have pursued anti-crime efforts but further action is needed. Here are the Chamber's policy recommendations.
Read more
For a real-world perspective on rising retail crime and its impact on small businesses, we spoke with a small-batch coffee roaster in San Francisco serving the community since 1965.
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This Hill letter was sent to the Members of the House Committee on the Judiciary's Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance, on the hearing, "The Rise in Organized Retail Crime and the Threat to Public Safety."
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