Three reasons why Congress should pass anti-organized retail crime legislation this year

Organized retail crime continues to impact the retail industry at an alarming rate. In response to this growing challenge, NRF is advocating for passage of the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act – CORCA (S. 140/HR 895), a bill that would increase federal coordination with state and local law enforcement agencies to combat retail crime.

The momentum in Congress to pass CORCA is gaining momentum, thanks to the efforts of the NRF – including Fight Retail Crime Day, which mobilized the retail industry to raise awareness of the urgent need for Congress to act. While the momentum from the day was positive, retailers and local communities need Congress to get the job done and pass CORCA before the end of the year. Here are three reasons why Congress should pass CORCA this year.

Federal legislation to address ORC cannot wait

Organized retail crime is a dangerous and widespread problem and addressing it through federal legislation cannot wait. These crimes not only have an economic impact on retailers, but also a wider impact on the safety of store staff and customers. According to the NRF’s 2023 National Retail Security Survey, more than two-thirds (67%) of respondents said they experienced an increase in violence and aggression from ORC perpetrators compared to a year ago. Organized retail crime groups extend to other criminal activities, including transnational groups involved in human, arms and drug trafficking.

Better federal coordination is critical to combating retail crime

Law enforcement agencies in various jurisdictions often lack sufficient resources to quickly apprehend and prosecute retail criminals. That’s why CORCA is establishing a new Organized Retail Crime Coordination Center to combine expertise and resources from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and retail industry representatives to curb organized retail crime. This increased coordination will provide law enforcement agencies with the tools to adequately address retail crime.

CORCA is widely supported

CORCA has broad support from both the retail industry and Congress. Nearly all (93%) retailers support federal ORC legislation, as reported in NRF’s 2023 National Retail Security Survey. In Congress, CORCA has growing support from more than 130 bipartisan co-sponsors recognized by NRF as Congressional Retail Crime Fighters. In a political landscape where consensus is often difficult to reach, CORCA stands out for its bipartisan support, making it the ideal legislation to reach agreement and move to a vote.

Join NRF in pushing for passage of the Organized Retail Crime Control Act through our grassroots alert.