» Nationwide, retail crime in 2009 cost businesses of all sizes a total of $33.5 billion. The average shoplifting case nationally involved $440 of merchandise.
» Retail crime includes shoplifting; credit card and check fraud; return fraud, or returning stolen merchandise without a receipt; and “wardrobing,” the industry term for wearing a garment with the tags on and returning it.
» Organized retail crime rings use theft or fraud to obtain large amounts of goods, often in multiple states on the same day, and sell the products to get cash or drugs. Legislative efforts in several states and federally are aimed at increasing penalties for such crimes.
» More than 63 percent of retailers surveyed in 2010 said they had recovered stolen merchandise from pawnshops, flea markets and online auction sites.
» The Omaha area’s retail coalition has operated for about a year. Retailers interested in participating should contact the Omaha Police Department’s Prevention Programs Unit.
Sources: The National Retail Federation, Omaha Police Department
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