House Judiciary Committee discusses the rise of retail theft

Retail theft is a growing issue and organized crime syndicates are profiting from it. Organized retail theft consisting of groups as well as individual shoplifters was discussed during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday.

District Attorney John Flynn of Erie County, New York said that crime syndicates are just one of the groups targeting stores. Smaller groups of four to five people and thieves acting individually are the two most common perpetrators, Flynn said.

Instances of organized retail theft increased by an average of around 26 percent in 2021, according to The Washington Post.

“Retailers are forced to raise costs or close stores,” said Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs (R) during the meeting.

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon mentioned closing stores or raising prices in response to retail theft during an interview with CNBC in December. Walmart has closed two stores in Portland and four in Chicago since March.

Some stores rely on loss prevention employees or other forms of security. These workers can face violence when dealing with suspected shoplifters.

Lorie Mohs, a witness at yesterday’s meeting on organized retail theft, spoke before the House members about her son’s death at the hands of a shoplifter. Her son Blake Mohs, a loss prevention worker at Home Depot, was shot and killed in April after confronting a shoplifter.

Members of the committee had differing views on how to address the issue of organized retail theft. Pennsylvania Democratic Congresswoman Madeleine Dean advocated for enhanced gun violence prevention, while California Republican Congressmen Kevin Kiley and Wisconsin Republican Rep. Thomas P. Tiffany pushed for stricter prosecution for shoplifters.

The prosecution of organized retail theft varies by state and district. Rep. Tiffany implored voters during the meeting, saying, “you need to vote for people who are going to be tough on crime.”