New retail, FBI partnership provides crime retail data to law enforcement officers

Washington, D.C. Hundreds of thousands of law enforcement officers around the country will gain instant access to information on retail crime through a new partnership between retailers and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Retail Federation announced today.

Through the FBI’s Law Enforcement Online network (leo.org) federal and local law enforcement will be able to directly connect to the retail industry’s Law Enforcement Retail Partnership Network, or LERPnet (lerpnet.com), a secure national database where retailers track and report retail crimes.

The partnership will enable law enforcement agencies to gain central, immediate access to retail crimes ranging from counterfeiting and organized retail crime to armed robberies and smash-and-grab burglary incidents.

“Law enforcement agencies have always been a crucial ally in the fight against retail crime,” said Joe LaRocca, senior asset protection advisor for NRF. “With direct access to the LERPnet system, millions of police officers will be better equipped to identify and track the most dangerous retail criminals, protecting both shoppers and retail employees.”

Training for law enforcement officers will commence the first week of April and special task forces to track crime in specific regions will continue to meet.