US EditionCook County State's Attorney's Office Leads Nationwide Retail Theft Crackdown
- Illinois' Cook County authorities coordinated a nationwide operation targeting retail theft last week, involving over 100 jurisdictions across 28 states.
- This crackdown followed reports that shoplifting incidents increased by 93% and dollar losses by 90% between 2019 and 2023, highlighting growth in organized retail crime.
- The operation included over 30 retailers such as Macy's, Target, Walgreens, and Home Depot, and resulted in hundreds of arrests, including 19 by Burbank Police Department between May 26 and June 1.
- Since December 1, the office led by Cook County’s top prosecutor has lowered the felony threshold for retail theft to cover stolen goods valued over $300, resulting in 1,450 felony charges filed and emphasizing the role of prosecution in deterring such crimes.
- Officials state the crackdown aims to share intelligence and focus enforcement on retail theft networks, signaling stronger law enforcement collaboration and retailer partnerships to combat escalating organized retail crime.
21 Articles
21 Articles
New Group, Database Designed to Help Combat Organized Retail Theft in Illinois
Organized retail theft has been a felony in Illinois since 2023, through a law dubbed the INFORM Consumers Act, which broadly characterizes the crime as when someone knowingly steals at least $300 in merchandise from one or more stores with the intent of reselling it.
19 Organized Retail Theft Suspects Arrested in Burbank Blitz Operation
Nineteen suspects allegedly involved in felony and misdemeanor theft-related offenses were arrested into custody by the Burbank Police Department following a coordinated nationwide operation aimed at disrupting organized retail theft, police announced Thursday. According to Burbank police, the operation occurred between May 26 and June 1, with the department working in partnership with the Los Angeles Organized Retail Crime Association and the C…
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