2020 Oklahoma Retail Theft Survey

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The Oklahoma Retail Crime Association issued its annual retail theft survey today, noting "massive spikes in both the numbers of losses due to theft and the amounts taken" for Oklahoma retailers.

Already hard-hit by the growth of online sales and the (hopefully temporary) impact of coronavirus, retailers don't need the state legislature to add insult to injury by discarding the tools to deter systematic theft.

We aren't talking about Javert relentlessly pursuing Jean Valjean for stealing a crust of bread to feed his starving family. We're talking about organized crime gangs who consider fines and brief imprisonments just the cost of doing business, and who are taking the bread out of the mouths of retail workers and their families.

The Facebook page Repeal SQ780 is a good source for stories on the impact of reducing penalties for so-called "non-violent crimes," such as shoplifting, burglary, and car break-ins. The page recently linked to a infographic showing that the loss amount from the average "pushout" theft -- when someone simply pushes a cart out the door without paying -- for our region doubled last year, from $778 in 2018 to $1544 in 2019. 59.5% of pushout robberies involved organized retail crime, and 10% involved violence against store personnel.

Here is the press release from the OKRCA:

The Oklahoma Retail Crime Association (OKRCA) has completed the 2020 Oklahoma Retail Theft Survey - which draws on retailer's internal theft data, as opposed to just numbers reported to law enforcement.

Once again, Oklahoma retailers saw massive spikes in both the numbers of losses due to theft and the amounts taken.

Oklahoma retailers are also reporting increased violence against store personnel.

According to OKRCA President, Norm Smaligo, "Retailers from around the country want to know why their theft rates in Oklahoma are so much higher than other states they operate in. I have to point to our laws and the permissive attitude the courts take towards retail theft."

"Organized Retail Crime (stealing for profit) has exploded here in recent years, because of our loosening of penalties for theft and our failure of our laws to address the people who steal for a living and those that sell it for them."

According to the most recent National Retail Federation (NRF) Organized Retail Crime survey, states that have raised felony theft limits have seen increases in theft activity. [Here is the complete National Retail Federation Organized Retail Crime Survey.]

In Oklahoma this effect is amplified by the fact that Oklahoma law allows cities to prosecute these 'misdemeanor crimes' as a municipal infraction similar to a speeding ticket. This hardly serves as a deterrent to criminal activity.

Smaligo said: "This year's survey just builds on the bad numbers we saw last year. We're seeing increased thefts, increased amounts and increased violence against our people. Retailers are begging for help. Our legislators at some point are going to have to decide: Do they want to help tax producing businesses lose less, or do they want to help criminals steal more?"

Smaligo said there are currently three bills pending before the Oklahoma legislature that they hope will help curtail some of the theft activity: Senate Bill 1587 would allow law enforcement to aggregate multiple larcenies over a one year period as opposed to the current 90 days - which Smaligo said is less time than it takes for an arrest warrant to be issued in many cases.

Senate bills 1689 and 1691 would prohibit Pawn Shops from buying fraudulently obtained gift cards and new-in-box items stolen from stores without some proof of purchase, such as a receipt.

According to Smaligo - the easy cash that criminals receive for selling these items is what is driving most of the theft activity. "They're not stealing four power tool kits for personal use! They're selling them within minutes of stealing them".

Norm Smaligo is the President of the Oklahoma Retail Crime Association - a group of retailers and law enforcement working together to identify and prosecute Organized Retail Crime offenders in this state.

Smaligo can be reached for comment at:

nsmaligo@gmail.com
or
(918)698-2626

After the jump, the text of the report itself.

2020 Oklahoma Retail Theft Survey
  • Follow up to last year's Oklahoma Retail Theft Survey, drawing from retailers internal theft data - that is not generally publicly reported but gives a more accurate reflection of the extent of theft problems faced by retailers in this state.
  • OSBI Numbers:

    • The 2019 OSBI UCR report showed:

      • An 11% jump in shoplifters reported to law enforcement

      • A steady 37% increase in shoplifter dollars since 2016

      • A steady 37% increase in average shoplift case since 2016

      • A 4% increase in general larceny numbers in the Tulsa area

      • A 5% increase in the general larceny numbers in the OKC area

  • OKRCA Survey Numbers:

    • Survey conducted among 12 National/Regional retailers, representing 308 physical locations (+/- 4% margin of error)

    • Used Retailer's internal data to compare 2019 to 2018

    • Our retail partners report that in the last year they saw:

      • A 9% increase in total theft incidents in our stores (+64% in 2019 survey)

      • A 15% increase in total theft dollars

      • A 38% increase in the number of shoplifters reported to law enforcement (+37% in 2019 survey)

      • A 52% increase in average shoplift incident (+53% in 2019 survey)

      • 75% reported that employees experienced a reported 191 theft related violent incidents last year (prosecuted as Felony Robbery in many other states)

      • 50% reported Fire Door runout thefts in the last year (a Felony in many other states)

      • 75% reported that Organized Retail Crime was increasing at their Oklahoma stores

      • 58% reported that their Oklahoma theft activity was higher than other states

      • Clothing, Over-the-counter drugs & Power tools were reported as the highest theft items

Conclusion:

In 2019, Oklahoma continued its run of bad news for tax generating retailers. After extremely high increases recorded in last year's survey, Oklahoma again saw massive increases in retail losses due to theft.

Despite the rosy pictures painted by groups that are profiting off of Criminal Justice "reform" - it is clear those measures are in fact increasing crimes in our communities. We see it in the hard data, and we're hearing it from the criminals themselves.

We need to take a serious look at whether our goal should be to 'reduce incarceration' or should it be to Reduce CRIME? We have businesses that are passing on expanding into Oklahoma, or are closing locations due to increased theft rates.

Our legislators need to support measures that protect tax generating businesses from being repeatedly victimized by criminals that show no intention of stopping what they are doing because they are never punished.

Background information available for inspection by appointment

Oklahoma Retail Crime Association
Contact: Norm Smaligo President, OKRCA
(918)698-2626
OklahomaRetailCrimeAssociation@gmail.com

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This page contains a single entry by Michael Bates published on March 12, 2020 7:12 PM.

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