State makes retail theft a felony as organized crime proliferates
State makes retail theft a felony as organized crime proliferates Fox News
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The Kansas Legislature Passes Bill to Classify Organized Retail Crime as a Felony Offense
The Kansas legislature passed a bill Wednesday that would classify organized retail crime (ORC) a felony offense, joining nine other states that have passed similar laws in the last year.
Introduction
ORC refers to orchestrated groups of shoplifters who commit smash-and-grab robberies of stores or target cargo carriers.
Details of the Bill
- The state’s upper chamber passed the Substitute House Bill 2144, which would split the felony charges into two tiers.
- A theft of merchandise valued at more than $3,000 would be classified a felony and those convicted would face between 31 and 136 months behind bars.
- If the amount stolen exceeds $15,000, the sentence range is between 38 and 172 months.
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Approval Process
The bill still has to be signed by Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, before it goes into effect.
Support for the Bill
- In support of the bill, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach wrote that ORC isn’t “mere shoplifting.”
- “These crimes typically involve stealing for personal use. It is large-scale theft of retail merchandise that represents a concerted effort to victimize a business, often with the intention of reselling the items for financial gain and often using those financial proceeds to fund additional criminal activity,” he said.
Impact of Organized Retail Crime
- A 2023 report from the National Retail Federation, the world’s largest retail association, found that organized retail crime was a primary driver of the massive amount of “shrink” retailers saw in 2022, with non-employee stealing making up 36%.
- The term “shrink” typically means theft and other forms of inventory losses, and retailers nationwide experienced $112 billion in losses in 2022.
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