The Los Angeles Organized Retail Crime Association (LAORCA) recently held its first 2025 Quarterly Conference from the Los Cerritos Center in Cerritos, California. Formerly referred to as the Los Angeles Area Organized Retail Crime Association, the organization was originally founded in 2007 as a collaborative effort to combat organized retail crime under the leadership of the former LAPD Chief of Police William Bratton and managed under the Commercial Crimes Division. Today, LAORCA is led by a coalition of volunteers from various sectors of the retail industry, including multi-store leaders and loss prevention professionals.
This diverse leadership structure allows for a comprehensive approach to tackling organized retail crime, as it brings together insights from different areas of retail operations along with members from each major law enforcement agency in the greater Los Angeles market to serve on the LAORCA advisory panel. With members across the state of California and the United States, LAORCA fosters regional cooperation among different cities, counties, and jurisdictions. This approach enhances the ability to force multiply and impact ORC activities that may involve multiple cities, counties, or states.
Call to Action
To kick off the conference learning agenda, Detective Colin Langsdale with the Los Angeles Police Department made a compelling call to action, urging for clear itemized reporting regarding the loss of products and damages incurred due to crime. He highlighted the necessity for consistent crime reports that accurately reflect reported incidents. Emphasizing the need for collaboration with prosecutors, Langsdale underscored the commitment of the Los Angeles Organized Retail Theft Task Force (LAORTF) to collaborate closely with prosecutors. He stressed that this partnership is crucial in ensuring that appropriate charges are filed against offenders, including special allegations where applicable. This approach aims to enhance accountability and deter future criminal behavior by ensuring that offenders face consequences commensurate with their actions. The discussion underscored the importance of transparent reporting and collaboration between law enforcement and prosecution.
The event also included a number of sessions featuring both retail and law enforcement partners as they discussed case studies, business updates, and a number of current issues impacting the Los Angeles market.
Investigators of the Year
LAORCA also announced their Impact Investigation of the Year award winners, celebrating the efforts of Hugo Ocampo with lululemon and California Highway Patrol Investigator Juan Nunez for their efforts as part of “Operation Social Fashion” which exemplifies the effective use of collaboration and technology in combating retail theft.
New District Attorney Speaks
The keynote presentation featured newly elected Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, who promised to support efforts to prosecute organized retail crime. A former federal prosecutor and assistant US attorney general, Hochman emphasized the significant impact that a small percentage of offenders have on overall crime rates while offering statistics indicating that approximately 10-15 percent of individuals are responsible for committing between 50-55 percent of retail crimes. By targeting this specific group, Hochman believes it is possible to reduce organized retail crime by nearly half. The keynote address ended with a resounding applause, after which DA Hochman took time to meet and greet attendees and pose for photos.
ORC Blitz
With all of these subject matter experts together in one place, it was determined that LAORCA should take full advantage. Following the conference, LAORCA members further emphasized their commitment to partnerships and collaboration by taking part in a successful ORC blitz operation in the market, yielding more than $4,700 in recoveries and seven arrests by the California Highway Patrol.
Partnering for Progress
LAORCA has also re-emphasized their commitment to the ORCAs in Action network, which fosters information sharing, best practices, and strategic partnerships that can lead to more effective prevention and response strategies against organized retail crime. By collaborating with other ORCAs, LAORCA can leverage collective resources, intelligence, and experiences to strengthen its initiatives and improve overall safety within the retail sector.
“At LAORCA we’ve been working strategically to improve challenges across LA County through partnerships, collaboration, and education with retailers and law enforcement agencies,” said Keara Mitcham, president of LAORCA. “We have a new state law (Proposition 36), and a new district attorney in LA County, empowering all of us to impact organized retail crime in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas.”