Press Release

Media Contact: media@buysafeamerica.org
 

Buy Safe America Coalition Applauds Funding for California Organized Retail Crime Task Force
 
California Becomes the Latest State to Take Steps to Address Organized Retail Crime

Washington, DC – Today, the Buy Safe America Coalition issued the following statement on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signing of SB 129, which includes $5.7 million in funding for the California Organized Retail Crime Task Force.

“From California to New Mexico, state leaders are recognizing that greater efforts are necessary in combatting the growing surge in organized retail crime,” said Jason Brewer, Buy Safe America Coalition spokesperson. “While we applaud California lawmakers for making organized retail crime a top priority, legislative solutions must address the increased use of e-commerce platforms by retail theft groups to dupe unsuspecting online consumers.”

In recent months, businesses have seen an alarming increase in retail theft incidents. In San Francisco, a group of nine thieves were seen fleeing with stolen merchandise from a Neiman Marcus store. Northern California was also the site of a massive organized retail crime operation that was uncovered by law enforcement officials last year, in which thieves had used leading e-commerce platforms to sell stolen products. 

Organized retail theft and its impact on employees, consumers, and law enforcement officials has not gone unnoticed. This month, the City of Albuquerque and New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas launched a partnership that aims to combat organized retail crime. At a press conference, Balderas noted the ties between the organized retail crime industry and other repugnant criminal schemes such as human trafficking and drug crimes. 

The Buy Safe America Coalition is urging Congress to pass the INFORM Consumers Act, which would modernize consumer protection laws and require online marketplaces to collect and verify basic business information from sellers. By creating appropriate consumer safeguards, organized retail groups would lack access to a lucrative market for their illicit activities. 

“Organized retail crime isn’t just limited to one single area — it’s a growing nationwide epidemic that has insurmountable economic and physical consequences,” added Brewer. “We urge other state and federal policymakers to follow the lead of California and New Mexico.”   

Visit BuySafeAmerica.org for more information about the growing problem of stolen and counterfeit goods, and solutions to better protect consumers and businesses. 

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The Buy Safe America Coalition represents a diverse group of responsible retailers, consumer groups, manufacturers, intellectual property advocates and law enforcement officials who support efforts at all levels of government to protect consumers and communities from the sale of counterfeit and stolen goods.