Business News
Legislation to Combat Organized Retail Crime Introduced
2008-07-15 15:36:00
RILA applauds the 'Organized Retail Crime Act of 2008' ARLINGTON, Va., July 15 /EMWNews/ -- The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) applauds Congressmen Brad Ellsworth (D-IN) and Jim Jordon (R-OH) for their introduction of the "Organized Retail Crime Act 0f 2008." The proposed legislation addresses the growing problem of organized retail crime (ORC). ORC involves sophisticated crime rings that typically steal and stockpile huge quantities of merchandise in a targeted area. They then resell the stolen merchandise through flea markets, swap meets, pawn shops and, increasingly, on Internet auction sites. In many cases, these crime rings use the profits to fund other criminal enterprises. "RILA strongly supports the introduction of the Organized Retail Crime Act of 2008," said Allen Thompson, vice president of global supply chain. "This bi-partisan bill will provide law enforcement officials the tools they need to curtail ORC and protect consumers from unknowingly purchasing fraudulent or unsafe consumer goods." Because of widely varying state laws and the lack of a clear federal criminal statute addressing ORC, gangs who move from store to store stealing thousands of dollars of merchandise are often only subject to minor misdemeanor charges. HR 6491 would criminalize the theft and subsequent sale of retail goods and services. Organized retail crime costs consumers and businesses tens of billions of dollars every year. This criminal activity impacts consumers, retailers, and state and local governments. The proposed legislation would address this issue by amending the federal criminal code to make activities involved in furthering organized retail crime illegal. In addition, the bill would also criminalize facilitation of this activity and impose specific duties on online marketplaces to limit illegal activity occurring online involving organized retail crime. Further, consumers who purchase health and beauty items from flea markets and online auction sites are at serious risk of harm. Items such as Baby formula and diabetic test strips, favorite targets of ORC criminals, can be damaged when not handled carefully and could result in harm to unknowing buyers. "This is a serious crime issue with real health and safety implications," said Paul Jones, vice president for asset protection. "Without a secure supply chain and the anonymity of sellers, consumers could easily be exposed to harmful products that have been potentially tampered with." For their safety, RILA encourages consumers to rely on traditional retail sources when making these purchases. "RILA applauds Representatives Ellsworth and Jordon for their leadership on this important issue and their commitment to protecting the health and safety of consumers. We encourage Congress to act quickly to give law enforcement the tools it needs to aggressively prosecute these criminals and protect innocent consumers from unsafe or damaged goods," Thompson concluded. The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) promotes consumer choice and economic freedom through public policy and industry operational excellence. Its members include retailers, product manufacturers, and service suppliers -- which together provide millions of jobs and operate more than 100,000 stores, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers domestically and abroad.
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