Organized Retail Crime Plagues Retail

Minneapolis, Organized retail crime continues to be a major problem across the retail landscape. According to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) 2006 Organized Retail Crime Survey, released on Monday at NRF’s Loss Prevention Conference in Minneapolis, 81% of loss-prevention executives indicated their company has been a victim of organized retail crime.

Nearly everyone surveyed (93%) said displayed concern about organized retail crime activity and the belief that the problem is getting worse, not better. Of those polled, 41% said organized crime was a significant or severe issue, compared to only 30% of respondents last year.

“As more criminals become involved in organized theft rings, it could become increasingly violent and unpredictable,” said Joseph LaRocca, VP of loss prevention, NRF. “We are grateful for the law enforcement and legislative initiatives that are working with the retail industry to crack down on organized retail theft.”