Organized retail crime is threatening American families

This holiday season, shopping in physical retail stores is becoming so dangerous that maybe it’s just as well that online sales are predicted to reach a new high.

An ongoing crime epidemic has made many Americans downright frightened to visit their local shopping centers or grocery stores overrun by organized shoplifting and other forms of lawlessness. Yet many of these reoccurring crimes are simply not being prosecuted.

Congress must act swiftly to combat the chaos plaguing American communities and destroying family businesses.

To address the problem, the House Homeland Security Committee’s Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence recently held a hearing titled “From Festive Cheer to Retail Fear: Addressing Organized Retail Crime.”

During the Dec. 12 congressional hearing, Home Depot’s vice president of asset protection Scott Glenn testified regarding the level of organized violence his employees have experienced in stores across the nation. “These individuals are becoming increasingly aggressive,” Glenn said. “They are dangerous and often care little about any consequence other than getting out of the store with as much product as possible. Our associates have been threatened with knives, guns, and other physical attacks.” His words speak to the undeniable truth that each day, countless store employees put their lives on the line simply to provide for their families.

Many of the robberies, however, aren’t conducted by the desperate and poor, but by international theft crews who intend to sell the goods on Amazon or at flea markets. These criminals rewrite expiration dates on goods such as baby formula, for example, to maintain their value for resale. The practice inflicts great personal risk upon consumers unaware that they have purchased expired items through third-party sellers.

Stores faced with shoplifting are inevitably forced to either jack up their prices to remain in business or close their doors from revenue loss. Target retail stores, for example, expect to lose $1.3 billion to organized crime by the end of this year. The company announced the closure of several of its major retail locations in cities such as Portland, Ore., Seattle and New York City due to theft this fall.

Inner-city retail closures are particularly hard on patrons who already struggle to make ends meet. Many people living in major cities are now forced to travel even further to shop for groceries needed to feed their families. And those without the means to travel great distances find themselves in an even more desperate situation.

If only prosecutors chose to diligently enforce the law, instead of ignoring our nation’s dangerous crime wave as they have done for far too long, Americans might finally be able to safely access the groceries they need to survive at affordable prices. But rogue district attorneys are blatantly refusing to hold criminals accountable for their crimes.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) recently vetoed bipartisan legislation that would have created a task force to study surging retail theft in New York, turning a blind eye to the fact that nearly 95 percent of New York City stores have experienced shoplifting this year. Likewise, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in 2022 charged a serial shoplifter for just two of nearly two dozen crimes he had committed, because punishing him for all 23 offenses would have been a “waste of resources.”

When big-city mayors are more concerned about political pandering than public safety, it’s up to Congress to do the job instead.

Lawmakers should pass the bipartisan Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA), to protect frightened Americans this Christmas season and beyond. CORCA would give federal agencies under the Department of Homeland Security the authority to investigate and prosecute members of crime rings and bring criminals to justice. If passed, CORCA would make it far easier for law enforcement to carry out its duty to protect the vulnerable in their neighborhoods.

Americans deserve nothing less than the peace of mind that comes with strong law enforcement measures. With major city leaders failing in their responsibility to protect civilians, it’s up to Congress to stand up against rampant shoplifting and reinstate order and civility in cities nationwide.

Gabriel Nadales is the national director of Our America.