Organized retail theft is having a significant impact on the nation’s businesses following a sharp spike in crime over the last three years. The issues are occurring across the country with a particular concentration in locales dominated by the Democratic Party.
Overall, the United States suffered nearly $100 billion in retail theft in 2021, which is significantly up from previous years. The increase from 2020 represented a more than 26% spike in organized retail theft.
Furthermore, a survey by the National Retail Federation found that 80% of commercial retailers believed that violence tied to such theft increased from the previous year.
Both large and small companies have borne the brunt of the increase in crime. Target CEO Brian Cornell stated earlier this year that such thefts were an “urgent issue, not just for Target, but across the entire retail industry.”
He added that the thefts made “shopping conditions less convenient” and put employees and customers “in harm’s way.”
A number of Democratic-run cities have seen significant crowds of young people rob retail outlets. Last week, Los Angeles made national news after a mob of people ransacked a Nordstrom department store.
A smash-and-grab mob grabbed tens of thousands of dollars worth of designer handbags from a high-end retailer in Los Angeles. The account that posted it on Instagram said it was Nordstrom. This is becoming an almost everyday instance. pic.twitter.com/pHVzM8DCPu
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) August 11, 2023
One of the suspects had been released the previous day under a ‘catch and release’ policy by the city.
Suspect Ziona Janea Famoso had been released by the city just one day before allegedly taking part in the Nordstrom theft. Famoso had been arrested on charges of felony theft after reportedly being involved in two other similar robberies. Despite the charges, the suspect was released under the city’s cashless bail policy.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon (D) campaigned against what he termed a “tough-on-crime approach.” He sought to end cash bail during his 2020 campaign, believing that it was “unjust” and “unsafe.”
The southern California city is not the only one to face such organized retail theft. A number of businesses in San Francisco have announced their closure over the last year, including a number citing high shoplifting rates in the city.
