WASHINGTON, D. C. - Citing a rise in brazen “violent attacks in retail stores throughout the country” by organized retail crime, U.
S. Rep. Dave Joyce last week led a bipartisan letter urging the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate the fight against criminal networks responsible for the thefts.
The South Russell Republican’s letter, which was signed by dozens of Republicans and Democrats, noted the department’s congressionally approved 2024 spending bill contained language that urged it to consider establishing an Organized Retail Crime (ORC) Coordination Center. It asks the department for an update on its efforts to fight the problem. “The risk of ORC is not only due to the violence oftentimes displayed during the act of retail theft, especially to retail workers, but also health risks posed by consuming stolen goods like baby formula or pharmaceuticals, which may be improperly stored or tampered with prior to the final purchase by a consumer,” the letter says.
“Beyond public safety, ORC also endangers Main Street businesses and the economy.” The Department of Homeland Security says it has launched a program to fight organized retail crime called “Operation Boiling Point.” It says that unlike typical shoplifting, organized retail crime organizations systematically target retail establishments by using professional thieves known as “boosters.
” Boosters travel in crews throughout the country using aliases, rental vehicles, and tools such as “.