Great Lakes Wire

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a bipartisan coalition of 38 states and territories, urging Congress to address the growing issue of organized retail crime. This type of crime has led to financial losses exceeding $121 billion in the United States, with significant impacts on retailers and their employees. In Michigan alone, retailers lost over $2 billion in revenue due to theft in 2022.

Cargo theft is a major component of organized retail crime, affecting supply chains and contributing to inflationary pressures on various goods. The coalition is advocating for the re-introduction of legislation initially proposed during the 118th Congress. This includes H.R.895/S.140 – Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2023 and S.139 – Organized Retail Crime Center Authorization Act of 2023, which aim to provide resources at both state and federal levels to combat these crimes.

The proposed legislation would establish an Organized Retail Crime Coordination Center within the Department of Homeland Security, enhancing information sharing between state and federal entities to tackle this complex issue effectively.

Attorney General Nessel highlighted the success of Michigan's FORCE Team in combating organized retail crime through partnerships with retailers and law enforcement agencies at various levels. "The FORCE Team has had incredible success stopping organized retail crime rings in their tracks through strong partnerships with retailers and local, state, and federal agencies," Nessel stated.

Since its establishment in January 2023, Michigan's FORCE Team has charged over 85 defendants across 42 cases, recovering more than $10 million in merchandise along with cash and cryptocurrency from criminal enterprises.

The coalition's letter was co-led by attorneys general from Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, South Carolina, alongside Nessel. It also included representatives from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland Minnesota Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Dakota Tennessee Utah Vermont Virginia U.S Virgin Islands Washington West Virginia.