Attorney General Chris Carr yesterday hosted partners from Georgia’s law enforcement and business communities to strengthen the fight against organized retail crime across the state. This meeting served as an opportunity to hear from public and private partners about their experience with organized retail crime, including smash-and-grab robberies, after-hours break-ins, or thefts that break the supply chain. Participants also shared positive steps they are taking to address the issue and protect both customers and employees. Those in attendance included representatives from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council, Amazon, CVS, Home Depot, Macy’s, Walmart, Walgreens, Publix, and the Georgia Retailers Association.
“Organized retail crime is on the rise, and the impact to Georgia and its citizens is significant and weighs heavy on our economy,” said Carr. “At a time when it’s incredibly difficult to hire staff, where workforce is cited as one of the most significant challenges facing businesses of all sizes, the additional concern a potential employee now has is for his or her own personal safety. It’s imperative that both the public and private sector come together to share information and resources to dismantle these increasingly violent and brazen networks once and for all, and that’s exactly what we intend to do.”
According to a 2021 economic impact analysis from the Retail Industry Leaders Association and Buy Safe America Coalition, Georgia businesses lose over $3 billion to retail theft annually. This includes $1.6 billion in stolen goods and $326 million in lost tax revenue (federal, state and local), along with 17,000 lost jobs.
This unlawful activity can also be linked to other criminal operations, including gang activity, human and drug trafficking, corruption, bribery and money laundering.
According to the same 2021 study, nearly 76 percent of those retailers reported physical assault against an…
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