The National Retail Federation’s SVP of Government Relations, David French, issued a supporting statement after the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2023 and the Organized Retail Crime Center Authorization Act were introduced in the U.S. Senate.
The two bills will reportedly create new tools to assist in the federal investigation and prosecution of organized retail crime and help recover lost merchandise and revenue.
Said French, “Retailers face security-related challenges on many fronts, and ORC continues to be a formidable threat in communities across the country. These brazen crimes endanger employees and customers and also contribute to total shrink, costing the industry nearly $100 billion in 2021, as reported in the NRF’s 2022 National Retail Security Survey.
French continued, “While retailers continue to adapt to rapidly changing criminal tactics, federal support is also needed. This legislation is a critical step to increase collaboration between federal law enforcement agencies, retail investigators and state agencies to effectively combat these increasingly violent criminal activities.
“We are grateful to Senators Chuck Grassley and Catherine Cortez Masto for their leadership on legislation to curtail one of the most urgent problems facing retailers and the communities we serve.”
