San Diego County DA Summer Stephan visiting a local perfume store.
Organized retail crime is not a victimless crime — it can have a devastating impact on the real people behind retail. San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan joins us to discuss the fight against organized retail crime. We explore laws and initiatives to combat the insidious issue, plus what local businesses can do to protect themselves and their employees.
Contrary to some misconceptions, ORC is not a victimless crime purely about the bottom line. It deeply affects business owners, employees and entire communities.
San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan
“We’re dealing with an industry that employs more people in America than any other industry. It is the definition of whether your community is going to thrive or not,” Stephan says. “So I began to really focus on it, to bring together an organized retail theft team that understood that this wasn't something that's at the bottom of our priority list. It's not just economic loss; it's jobs, it's people. It's also the feeling of feeling unsafe for the employees, the customers, the businesses.”
Taking it a step further, organized retail crime can also fuel other types of criminal enterprises. “You can't look at it in its own silo,” Stephan says. “It intersects with all of the other terrible crimes because you have a source of money now to buy guns, drugs, to sell them, to buy human beings and sell them. It all intersects. We can't allow lawlessness in our nation. We are a country that follows the rule of law.”
To fight organized retail crime, law enforcement itself must become organized and unified around the issue — because retail criminals are only getting more sophisticated. Stephan describes organizations that specialize in certain areas, such as big jewelry stores or high-end home burglaries. With the advancement of technology and the rise of online shopping, perpetrators can sell more stolen goods online without being detected.
Learn more about ORC and why it matters to retailers.
“They are organized criminals, and that’s why we have to really become organized as law enforcement,” Stephan says. “That’s part of my role as the National DA President, is to bring forth the idea that, if you don’t prioritize retail theft and you don’t have a sophisticated team that knows what they’re doing, then you’re not going to win this battle because they’re becoming more organized. We, as law enforcement, need to meet the moment, and that's why we need the legislation that unites our information in one task force.”
While prosecutors and law enforcement are going to bat against organized retail crime, small businesses also have a role to play. Stephan encourages business owners to report all instances of theft to local authorities, ensure they have up-to-date video cameras and surveillance equipment, and train their employees on how to handle theft situations.
Her number one tip: “Don't give up on reporting. Get to know your local police station captain. Get to know your DA office and insist, because it's your right as a citizen, as a community member, to be safe. So insist on us doing our job.”
Listen to the full episode to hear more about how law enforcement is combating organized retail crime — and what you can do as a retailer.
(00:00:00) Summer Stephan’s law background
What inspired her to become a district attorney
How she channels the stress of her work into action
Stephan's first case
(00:00:00) The human price of organized retail crime
Why Stephan began to focus on ORC
Heartbreaking stories of businesses impacted by retail crime
Why ORC means more than economic loss
Locking up criminals, not products
(00:00:00) The reality of retail crime
How specialized and sophisticated organized groups operate
Why criminals create a reason for shoppers to go online
Why DAs need to prioritize retail theft
(00:00:00) Initiatives to combat organized retail crime
Changing the law in California to make repeated theft a felony
Misconceptions about retail crime
Why it’s important to focus on fighting ORC on a local level
How ORC intersects with other types of crime
(00:00:00) The role of local businesses in confronting crime
The importance of businesses reporting retail crime
How to better equip your store and your employees
Insist on your DAs doing their job
(00:00:00) The evolution of organized retail crime
How technology impacted the evolution of ORC
How the Inform Act targeted online retail crime
What to expect from NRF PROTECT
Learn more about NRF PROTECT
Become an NRF member and join the world’s largest retail trade association
Learn about retail advocacy at nrf.com/advocacy
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