When it comes to fighting organized retail crime, there are countless factors that must come into play to make a genuine and lasting impact. Influenced by the evolving needs and priorities of the community as well as a general misunderstanding of the crimes involved, it can be an uphill battle to find successful and productive solutions. Considering all that this entails, what becomes most important is the ability to work together. Through the hard work and collaborative efforts of the retail partners in the northwest, that message has been heard—and the communities are responding.
“Looking at some of the greatest concerns that we’ve dealt with here in the northwest, one of the top priorities over the past twenty years has been organized retail crime,” reveals Dan Floyd with the Northwest Grocery Retail Association. “In response, we assembled task forces in Oregon and Washington, working with the organized retail crime associations in both states along with all the stakeholders that are really playing a part in addressing ORC, small businesses, large businesses, law enforcement, prosecutors, and even labor unions—anyone who has an opinion—and we’re really seeing the impact of those shared efforts.
“We spent months in both states framing the issue and the challenges that go along with it. We looked at policy changes specific to the statutes as well as funding solutions that can help us resolve the issues almost immediately. We identified the tools that prosecutors and law enforcement have at their disposal right now and others that might be available. But the most important and most immediate impact that needed to be made was on the lack of resources necessary at nearly every level to address the problem.”
“It was critical to have a plan and work together,” says Robert Nelson with the Washington State Organized Retail Crime Association (WAORCA). “We looked at the previous legislative sessions, all the various issues that needed to be addressed, and saw the best and most effective strategy was to bring everyone together and focus on the top problems to make real progress. Having all these stakeholders at the table and voicing the same message was key. It made it clear what we could achieve if we all worked in concert to make it happen.”
The plan involved sharing with legislatures the heart of the problem as well as a path towards a solution. It needed to address how resources could be used in the most efficient and effective manner, providing a taste of what could be accomplished by concentrating on the worst problems first. A management strategy needed to communicate a means to attack issues, maximize the impact, and support the community. By prioritizing cooperation and partnership amongst all involved, they showed they had a legitimate plan, were capable of executing the plan, presented it in a fair way, and convinced the legislature that it was something that was needed.
These efforts did more than make an impression—they paid off. In Washington they were able to receive a $1 million budget proviso to support the ongoing fight against organized retail crime, funding collaboration among the key stakeholders in the areas they need it most. Three defined areas with specific goals were targeted—Spokane, King, and Snohomish counties—to fund prosecutors, law enforcement, diversion programs, and other resources that would support both small and larger businesses in the fight against organized retail crime.
In Oregon they were able to get a $5 million policy package passed that made a number of changes impacting employee and customer safety initiatives and other policy changes, giving prosecutors more tools to go after the “highest utilizers” involved in organized retail crime across the state while also supporting the efforts of the Oregon Retail Crime Association (ORCAOR).
While there was a slightly different approach taken in both states, the efforts found success for the same reasons. “It started by working together slowly and deliberately, making sure every stakeholder not only had a voice—but was on the same page,” says Floyd. “Everyone needed to be heard and a part of the group so that everyone would be part of the solution. It’s phenomenal to see the immediate results. Organized retail crime has had a tremendous impact on our communities. Efforts like this make our communities safer and allow us to provide a better shopping experience across Washington and Oregon.”
“It’s been an exciting journey with a lot of wins in both Oregon and Washington,” says Jeremy Girard with ORCAOR. “Securing funds for law enforcement to fight ORC was a win in itself, but to get funds for ORCAOR and WAORCA is kind of new in the ORCA space. We are already seeing wins with the funds as law enforcement is increasing its theft missions, and it’s providing state funded hours to go after top habitual offenders. The funds for the ORCAs are helping us continue our mission, providing the funds to offer more training and more services as we continue to grow across both states.”
“By coming together and making sure everyone is talking and pushing in the same direction, our efforts are already paying dividends,” adds Nelson. “It truly shows what we can accomplish when we work together to address organized retail crime.”
The maze of problems that have compounded the issue of organized retail crime across the nation cannot be solved by simply chasing offenders and making arrests. While retailers, law enforcement, and our prosecutor partners have done an amazing job bringing many of these offenders to justice, the wave of problems just keeps coming. If anything, the ongoing safety concerns, repeat offenders, and multi-million-dollar investigations have made that crystal clear. What’s needed most is teamwork and a dedicated plan that will approach these concerns with patience, logic, commitment, and a common message. There may be a million reasons for working together to fight organized retail crime, but all we really need is one.
