Senate hearing shines light on organized retail theft

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Lawmakers are sounding the alarm over a surge in organized retail crime, warning that criminal enterprises, not petty shoplifters, are driving a wave of thefts that’s devastating businesses across the country.

Videos of mobs smashing displays and making off with thousands of dollars in merchandise have become increasingly common, but senators say the root of the problem runs deeper.

“We’ve all seen videos of mobs ransacking stores of thousands of dollars of goods and doing it in a very short period of time,” said Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa.).

Grassley says many of these incidents are orchestrated by sophisticated criminal networks.

“Some of the worst criminal organizations, including cartels, terrorists and human traffickers, use this type of crime to fund their misdeeds or launder ill‑gotten proceeds,” he said.

According to the Council on Criminal Justice, reported shoplifting rose by 14% in 2024 compared to the previous year.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas.) said local law enforcement and prosecutors can’t take on these international crime rings alone.

“These are not just local crimes. These are international networks and criminal organizations,” Cornyn said.

David Glawe, president and CEO of the National Insurance Crime Bureau, told lawmakers that information-sharing among law enforcement and retailers is critical.

“Intelligence sharing on individuals and organizations is critical to identify nefarious actors and operationalize the response,” Glawe said.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said the impact of organized theft extends beyond store owners.

“This is a problem that affects everybody, higher prices, lost jobs and lost community investment in shops forced to close their doors,” Durbin said.