The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office recently spearheaded a nationwide retail theft sting, netting hundreds of arrests in 28 states.
According to State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke’s office, the National Organized Retail Crime (ORC) Blitz, led by her office, yielded more than 500 total arrests, involving more than 100 law enforcement agencies across the country.
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WATCH HEREWhat’s more, more than $130,000 in stolen goods were recovered, along with stolen vehicles, narcotics and weapons in the late May operation.
“Retail crime has become increasingly violent and sophisticated, and if left unchecked, will continue to wreak devastating economic consequences in our communities. The recent nationwide ORC Blitz sends a strong message: we take these crimes seriously and are putting up a united front. Organized retail crime is a public safety issue, it’s a quality-of-life-issue, and it’s an economic issue,” Burke said in a statement.
According to the press release, more than 60 retailers participated in the enforcement action, including Walgreens, Macy’s, Target and Home Depot, among others.
Participation in the operation, which targeted organized retail theft rings across the county, is part of the State’s Attorney’s Office’s crackdown on shoplifting. According to the press release, O’Neill Burke has directed prosecutors to pursue felony retail theft charges when the value of goods exceeds $300, or when the suspect already has a conviction for felony shoplifting.
Retailers reported shoplifting incidents had surged 93% between 2019 and 2023, according to reporting cited by CNBC.
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“(The focus) is to have one day where we focus and concentrate on (retail theft) and we share intelligence about it,” O’Neill Burke told CNBC. “It’s about what we learned about the network, so that gives us more tools on how to take this network down.”
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