Attorney General Launches Effort To Take On Organized Retail Theft

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson and his office have announced the creation of a statewide task force aimed at taking down organized retail theft rings.

The newly-christened Organized Retail Crime Theft Task Force will help law enforcement agencies across Washington coordinate and capture large theft rings, the Attorney General's Office (AGO) said. According to the AGO, sophisticated, organized crime rings account for nearly $70 billion in retail losses across America. In 2021 alone, Washington retailers lost about $2.7 billion to organized crime rings, according to the Retail Industry Leaders Association.

“Coordination is key to combatting this growing, and sometimes dangerous problem,” Ferguson said in a news release. “These organized crimes cross jurisdictions and cause significant economic harm. I’m committed to working together with law enforcement and retail partners to put help combat this significant and growing problem.”

The Organized Retail Crime Theft Task Force is the first of its kind in the state, though nine other states have their own, similar task forces.

The AGO says organized retail criminals usually work together to steal products for resale. The task force will focus on cracking those large-scale crimes, not general retail theft like shoplifting.

"Organized retail crime differs from burglary and larceny — such as shoplifting — in that it is not the result of a single individual breaking the law, but rather part of an organized scheme to defraud retailers or to steal products for resale elsewhere," the AGO said in a news release announcing the task force's formation. "Organized crime can result in intimidation and violence for employees in those stores."

The AGO has provided several examples of crimes the Organized Retail Crime Theft Task Force will focus on, including widespread efforts to steal and resell baby formula — one of the most stolen items from stores — or a recent deadly theft in Bellevue where suspects took an employee hostage.