WASHINGTON—The Coalition Against Organized Retail Crime lobbied Congress to pass bills that fight organized retail crime (ORC) during a teleconference, reports Security Management. The coalition urged lawmakers a day before the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security of the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on federal law enforcement's role in fighting ORC.
ORC consists of gangs stealing a large amount of merchandise from retailers and then selling the goods. This practice costs retailers $30 billion of dollars each year, according to Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-IN)
Three pieces of legislation have been introduced to fight ORC; two in the House and one in the Senate. The piece in the House (H.R. 1173 [4]), introduced by Ellsworth, would make online marketplaces keep contact information of high-volume sellers that have sold or attempted to sell $12,000 or more in merchandise on their sites. These online marketplaces would have to keep such the information for three years.