Is a new Illinois law targeting organized retail theft making a difference?
CHICAGO (CBS) -- As we head into the holiday season, there are concerns about theft and robbery.
On Thursday, CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot reported on a brazen theft at the luxury retailer Moncler, 59 E. Oak St. A woman ran out the door with an armful of clothes and escaped in a waiting car.
A new law on the books targets retail thefts like that one at Moncler. In the fall of last year into this past winter, organized retail thefts involving multiple offenders made regular headlines on the Magnificent Mile in particular.
As CBS 2's Tara Molina reported, experts tell us they typically track a spike in retail theft crimes during the holiday shopping season.
With that in mind, retailers are gearing up with tight security.
"Retailers have put in place additional protection measures," said Rob Karr, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association.
There is, of course, nothing holly jolly about theft, robbery, and smash-and-grabs. We have tracked such crimes for years as they were caught on camera in Chicago's shopping districts.
But the hope this year, the new law will make a difference in major shopping districts like the Mag Mile.
"This law is one of things that's hopefully drawing down the crime," said Illinois state Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Oakbrook Terrace).
Sen. Glowiak Hilton sponsored the Illinois Organized Retail Theft Bill - working closely with Karr at the Illinois Retail Merchants Association.
"I was very concerned about the employees that work in these shops, as well as the patrons," Glowiak Hilton said.
Glowiak Hilton said they have seen a decline in group thefts like the ones that plagued the Mag Mile and other sites such as the Oakbrook Center Mall.
"This law is one of things that's hopefully drawing down the crime," she said.
We took a closer look at the numbers within the city of Chicago - homing in on the four downtown area communities where we've tracked a majority of the crime. Those communities are River North, Streeterville, the Gold Coast, and the Loop.
We saw a steep decline in theft numbers during the pandemic, and then they went back up. But they're lower right now than in pre-pandemic 2019.
But there is a caution about those stats.
"It doesn't tell the whole story," Karr said.
Karr said the drop could be attributed to how, and if, the crimes are being reported.
"It would be erroneous to say it's not continuing to grow - it is," he said. "Numbers are continuing to increase because of the amount of items that are stolen."
But Karr did tell us that since the law went into effect, the crime they've tracked has been less violent.
We checked in with the Cook County State's Attorney's office on progress. The office did not have much to say about the law itself, but a spokesperson did release the following statement:
"The CCSAO remains committed to continuing collaboration with our justice partners across the state to combat organized retail crime, as together, we work for the safety of everyone in our communities.
"We recognize organized retail theft is a concern across the state and we support legislation and efforts that will help bring justice to the people of Cook County."
The State's Attorney's office reported that in the 60611 ZIP code, which includes the Magnificent Mile and Streeterville, they reviewed and made a charging decision for 77 retail thefts with adult suspects between Jan. 1 and Nov. 16 of this year.
A total of 52 cases were approved, 33 were prosecuted, and 17 prosecutions resulted in convictions – for a conviction rate of 52 percent.
For retail theft with juvenile suspects, the State's Attorney's office has only filed charges in one case, which has yet to be adjudicated.
The Illinois Attorney General's office also released a statement saying data are not available to shed light on how well the new law might be working:
"In October, the Attorney General's Retail Crimes Task Force conducted sweeps at malls in the Chicago area. As we approach the holidays, we anticipate similar operations. In regard to the organized retail crime law, it only applies to crimes committed after the effective date of May 13, 2022, and we do not have the data to give a definitive answer that question."
Karr said retailers are putting extra protective measures in place - for what is not a victimless crime.
"For every item that goes missing, we all miss out on the sales tax that funds programs we all rely upon. Retail is the largest provider of revenue for local government and the second largest for the state -- so as goes retail, so does the services we rely upon," Karr said. "It's far from the victimless crime."
