Colorado attorney general forms statewide task force combating organized retail theft
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser has created a statewide task force that plans to combat retail theft while curbing online sales of stolen goods.
The Attorney General's Office made the announcement Wednesday as the statewide task force plans to provide greater coordination to identify, disrupt and prosecute criminal rings linked to organized retail theft. The task force also looks to crack down on thieves who steal goods from retailers and resell the merchandise through online marketplaces.
According to the attorney general, the special task force is merging prosecutors around the state who plan to create a shared set of resources for cross-jurisdictional investigations, share best practices and provide a point of engagement for private sectors and non-profit organizations that are addressing this rising issue.
"Organized retail theft harms business, employees, and customers. Last legislative session, I partnered with the business community and retail leaders to pass legislation to clamp down on these criminal enterprises. I'm thankful to the bill sponsors, to our industry partners, and to law enforcement for their partnership and for the work ahead to curb this criminal activity," Weiser said.
Many thieves look to sell stolen merchandise on various online shopping platforms in hopes of avoiding law enforcement through private transactions.
"Over the last several years the Boulder Police Department has seen a proliferation of stolen merchandise sold at online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace, Amazon, eBay, OfferUp, and others," said Maris Herold, chief of the Boulder Police Department.
The State of Colorado Department of Law issued a press release Wednesday discussing the new task force and new protocols online marketplaces must put into place.
As House Bill 22-1099 is set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2023, the new law is requiring online retailers and marketplaces to identify online sellers, verify seller information, and provide seller disclosures to consumers.
HB22-1099 also requires online marketplaces to have an easily identifiable reporting mechanism on their platforms giving consumers a tool to flag and report suspicious activity.
"Our member stores have seen property theft rise exponentially both in our state, and around the nation, so we're very pleased Attorney General Weiser is committed to shining a spotlight on the problem. We know that Organized Retail Crime costs our Colorado retailers tens of millions of dollars each year, but more importantly, violent acts against our employees and customers are also on the rise," said Chris Howes, president of the Colorado Retail Council.
He added, "In 2019, $68.9 billion worth of products were stolen from retailers in the USA, so our partnership with Colorado law enforcement is crucial in fighting these rings of criminals."
Weiser is also issuing a public advisory to companies that operate online, informing the business of the new obligations and requirements under Colorado law.
According to a report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, organized retail crime inflicts major losses on stores, with losses rising over 50% in the last five years to $700,000 for each $1 billion in sales in 2020.
Small business also took a large hit as organized retail theft continue to rise as the report says, 54% of owners experienced a massive uptick in shoplifting in 2021.
