Dozens of bipartisan lawmakers press DHS for action on organized retail theft

FIRST ON FOX: A group of more than 75 House lawmakers is pressing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on the issue of organized retail crime (ORC), a problem that cities and states across the country have grappled with in recent years.

"The risk of ORC is not only due to the violence oftentimes displayed during the act of retail theft, especially to retail workers, but also health risks posed by consuming stolen goods like baby formula or pharmaceuticals, which may be improperly stored or tampered with prior to the final purchase by a consumer," the legislators are writing in a letter to be sent later on Thursday.

"Beyond public safety, ORC also endangers Main Street businesses and the economy. A Retail Industry Leader’s Association report indicated that ORC caused nearly $70 billion in financial losses due to stolen goods from U.S. retailers in 2019. That number has continued to increase year by year, impacting businesses of all sizes, communities, and consumers."

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Rep. David Joyce is leading more than 75 House lawmakers in pressing DHS on organized retail crime. (Getty Images)

The letter, led by Rep. David Joyce, R-Ohio, demands that the Department of Homeland Security update Congress on its "efforts to address the problem."

Specifically, lawmakers are looking for the DHS Homeland Security Investigations office's progress on establishing an organized retail crime coordination center.

They said its establishment "would significantly enhance the ability of law enforcement and businesses to mitigate the threats posed by these sophisticated criminal networks."

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Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images/File)

"This Center could facilitate better information sharing, resource allocation, and strategic planning, ultimately leading to more effective prevention and enforcement actions," they wrote.

The effects of retail theft, specifically organized theft, have become a bipartisan issue as crime rings spread to more U.S. towns and cities.

The letter is signed by 46 Republicans and 30 Democrats.

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Organized retail crime has plagued large and small stores alike around the country. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

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Joyce previously held the subcommittee gavel for the House Appropriations Committee's homeland security panel, which advanced legislation with funding for an organized retail crime coordination center for fiscal 2024.

That push originated as a bipartisan bill led by Joyce, former Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., and Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev.