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In recent years, retailers, prosecutors and police have pushed state and federal lawmakers to crack down on thieves who, they say, have become increasingly sophisticated and violent.
At least 14 states have enacted retail theft laws over the past two years in response to reports of highly organized theft rings invading stores across the country and fleeing, collectively, with billions of dollars in merchandise. Despite emerging questions over the extent of the losses, law enforcement officers and prosecutors insist the threat is greater than ever.
The National Retail Federation retracted a claim that nearly half of the $94.5 billion in missing merchandise in 2021 was stolen by retail rings.
Even before Virginia lawmakers passed a tough new law against organized retail crime earlier this year, Bradley Haywood, a public defender in Arlington, Virginia, challenged the rationale.
Even before Virginia lawmakers passed a tough new law against organized retail crime earlier this year, Bradley Haywood, a public defender in Arlington, Virginia, challenged the rationale. The idea that