Organized retail crime cost the retail industry billions of dollars every year. And, while managers, loss prevention officers, and law enforcement agree is a rising problem, the solution to the problem is still absent. Some organized shoplifting rings are known to be extremely violent, and that jeopardizes the safety of your customers and employees alike. Consecutively, hurting the profits of your store.
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Former Coventry drug addict and shoplifter reveals how she has turned her back on a life of crime
West Midlands Police released the story of ‘Laura’ to highlight their work to stop people returning to prison.
One of Coventry’s most prolific shoplifters has turned her back on a life of crime and drugs – after being sent to prison while pregnant.
Laura – not her real name – had racked up 42 convictions for 124 offences in a bid to fuel her heroin addiction before being put behind bars in May 2015.
The 30-year-old was in the early stages of pregnancy when she was jailed for breaching a suspended sentence for theft.
Her story has been revealed by West Midlands Police who say their offender management work has prevented more than 8,000 offences in the last 12 months.
They say those crimes would have cost society nearly £30million.
How did the police help?
In Laura’s case, after she was imprisoned, Coventry Police’s offender management team sourced maternity wear from a clothes bank, visited prison to update her on child protection matters and, following her release in November, secured £150 from a charity to help buy baby clothes and accessories.
Addressing Organized Retail Crime: Law Enforcement and Retail Partnerships
Partnerships between law enforcement and LP can help in proactive retail crime prevention.
Following is an example of a successful partnership between retail loss prevention and local law enforcement that resulted in the dismantling of an organized retail crime (ORC) operation in one Florida county. While the details are specific to this particular 2011 investigation, what is important to the LP industry is that ORC is not just a discussion inside retail. Law enforcement is, in fact, interested in working with loss prevention organizations to proactively prevent crime in our stores and the communities we both serve.
Preparing for an Organized Retail Crime Blitz
As 2010 progressed, organized retail crime activity in Florida was high, resulting in significant losses for Luxottica Retail. Therefore, we decided to do a blitz in Florida to try to halt the losses. As usual, we sent invitations to other retailers to join us on this quest to identify and address ORC-related incidents. Macy’s then-ORC manager, John Morris, accepted the invitation to work with us.
Our second step was to solicit help from law enforcement. Our initial calls seemed to generate interest, but no commitments were reached. Time was passing quickly, and we couldn’t get the commitments we needed to secure a safe event. With only four days before the scheduled blitz, a call was made to a neighboring county to ask for suggestions on how to move forward with the blitz if we were not able to gain the necessary law enforcement assistance. That call was specifically made to Sergeant James Ostojic of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
MEMBERS OF WELL-KNOWN SF SHOPLIFTING RING ‘RAINBOW CREW’ ARRESTED
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) —
Members of a well-known San Francisco shoplifting ring are under arrest, charged in what prosecutors are calling an “unprecedented investigation.”
Union Square is considered a target rich environment for organized thieves because of all the high-end stores, so San Francisco’s District Attorney George Gascon is sending a message.
The D.A, police and the Union Square business community have formed a unique partnership that’s led to charges against 16 people who bum-rush stores and steal merchandise. The so-called “Rainbow Crew” has operated not just in San Francisco, but nationwide.
“They’ve travelled and travelled exclusively to commit crimes and to victimize people in other jurisdictions,” said Frank Carrubba with the D.A.’s office.
And recently, they became more brazen, using pepper spray, even knives. Police say it’s not ordinary shoplifting.
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