Friends of Ours: Organized Retail Crime

Increase In Shoplifting Rings
Organized retail theft continues as a rising trend, and Megan Boehnke from The Arizona Republic reports on the problem in the Grand Canyon State:
In Arizona and across the nation, police have noticed a sharp rise in organized retail theft. Merchant associations say shoplifting rings account for the majority of the billions of dollars in losses posted by retailers. "It's been a huge problem for a number of years, but it's a lot more organized now," said Michelle Ahlmer, president of the Arizona Retailers Association, who started hearing about the shoplifting rings about a decade ago. * * * Consumers ultimately pay, as product prices rise to cover the retailers' expenses for stolen merchandise as well as the security measures needed, said Ahlmer. Making matters worse for the public is the loss of sales-tax dollars that help pay government services.

Friends of Ours: Organized Retail Crime