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LOSS PREVENTION ASSOCIATION RECOGNIZES LEGISLATIVE CHAMPIONS

Raleigh, NC (October 20, 2022) – The Carolinas Organized Retail Crime Alliance (CORCA) recently recognized members of the North Carolina General Assembly as CORCA Legislative Champions during their annual conference in Raleigh. CORCA, managed by the North Carolina Retail Merchants Association, is a collaborative effort between retailers and law enforcement to reduce organized retail crime.

Senator Tom McInnis (R- Anson, Moore, Richmond, Scotland) and Representatives Jamie Boles (R- Moore), Allen McNeill (R- Moore, Randolph) and Robert Reives (D- Chatham, Durham) attended the conference and accepted their CORCA Legislative Champion awards during a special presentation. Also recognized, but not in attendance, were Senators Danny Britt (R- Columbus, Robeson), David Craven (R- Guilford, Randolph) and Mujtaba Mohammed (D- Mecklenburg), as well as Representatives Ted Davis (R- New Hanover) and Carson Smith (R- Columbus, Pender).

CORCA acknowledged the leadership of these nine legislators for their bipartisan effort during the 2022 session of the North Carolina General Assembly. From drafting and introducing legislation to shepherding its passage through committee and floor votes in their respective chambers, their efforts led to important new laws being passed which will directly combat organized retail crime in North Carolina.

Key components of the new law are higher level felonies for individuals who steal more than $50,000 and $100,000 in aggregated value from multiple retailers, requiring online marketplaces to verify the information of third-party sellers using their platform, and the ability for retailers to recoup damages for not only the property stolen but damage caused during the crime such as broken windows and display cases or destroying security cameras.

Organized retail crime goes far beyond common shoplifting, bad checks and fake gift cards. It is the large-scale theft of retail product usually driven by a criminal enterprise employing a group of individuals who steal mass quantities of merchandise and then resell the merchandise to convert the stolen goods into cash. Organized rings are often involved in other crimes within the community, including narcotics, money laundering and human trafficking. According to the National Retail Federation’s latest National Retail Security Survey, organized retail crime was a primary driver in retail losses which reached $94.5 billion nationwide in 2021. North Carolina has not been immune to organized retail crime, with recent sting operations recovering over $400,000 in stolen product.

Officially launched in February 2016, CORCA is a partnership between law enforcement and retail loss prevention officers. It is a division of the Retail Consumer Alliance Foundation, within the North and South Carolina State Retail Associations and is supported by the retail associations along with the Carolinas Food Industry Council. Through CORCA, retailers and law enforcement have found a way to bridge communication and fight the growing problem of retail crime on a unified front. For more information, visit https://www.corca.org/.

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