Organized Retail Crime (ORC)

117 Arrested in California During Statewide Holiday Retail Theft Blitz | CVS Delivery Driver Carjacked, $100K in Meds Stolen | Louisville CBP Seizes $18M in Counterfeit Luxury Goods

A large portion of crimes known to retailers are never reported to law enforcement—this means that these incidents will never show up in the official crime statistics that most in the media and policymaking often cite.

Retailers face significant losses due to theft and organized crime, but implementing digital evidence management systems (DEMS) can improve efficiency, enhance data security, and streamline the evidence handling process, helping to reduce costs and mitigate risks.

New Study Shows Shoplifting Is Up 93% Since Before COVID-19 | Macy’s Probe Found Employee Acted Alone in $151M Accounting Scandal | Spokane City Council Approves $90K Grant to Combat ORC

Retailers reported a 93 percent increase in the average number of shoplifting incidents per year in 2023 versus 2019 and a 90 percent increase in dollars lost due to shoplifting over the same time period, according to a new study released by the NRF.

ORC costs retail businesses an average of $244,509 per case, the highest the case value has been in over eight years.

Nationwide Gift Card Scheme Linked to Fentanyl and Human Trafficking | New Jersey Police Chiefs Want to Stop ORC—Here's How | Holiday Shopping Season Brings Wave of Retail Theft, Making Employees Feel Powerless

In many ways, current asset protection professionals are jacks of all trades, and as we look towards the future, their role in retail businesses only looks to become more expansive and essential.

New State's Attorney Lowers Felony Theft Threshold to $300 in Chicago | Family Planning on Suing Walmart and Officer Involved in Fatal Shooting | DeSantis Cracks Down on Retail Theft, Porch Pirates in Florida

To give you a better feel for the vast impact of the ORC problem, we have provided a glimpse into just a few of the incidents that took place in the month of November, 2024.