Loss Prevention Magazine
By: Courtney Wolfe
April 6, 2026
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson is facing criticism after vetoing $500,000 in funding meant to combat organized retail crime.
Washington state is number one in the nation for retail crime, according to Forbes, contributing to a nearly $3 billion impact on the economy and safety concerns for employees and customers.
“I am deeply disappointed and puzzled by the governor’s decision to veto a budget measure that focuses on combatting organized retail crime,” Rep. Mari Leavitt (D-University Place) said in a statement.
Leavitt was a champion of the funding after deciding to take a hands-on approach to learning about the real-world impacts of ORC, attending the NRF State Legislative Leadership Experience and an ORC conference, convening a public safety roundtable discussion in the interim, and participating in a ride-along during a fence operation bust, according the Washington Retail Association.
This veto comes after the governor supported a pilot program last year that provided $1 million to combat the issue of retail crime. From January through June of 2025, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed 142 retail theft cases, 2.5 times more than the average across the past four years. King County Prosecutor Leesa Manion said the success was a direct result of the funding allocated by the legislature, which allowed the office to temporarily hire an additional prosecutor.
According to the Washington Retail Association, in the first five months of 2025, the pilot generated 402 program-driven law enforcement responses, identified 1,194 people eligible for diversion, offered diversion to 343 individuals, initiated 154 diversions, and generated 5,868 ORC reports.
“While we face this challenging situation, consequently, we have limited ability to absorb additional work or expenses that are not funded in the budget,” Ferguson said. “That is why I vetoed a few programs. It’s also consistent with how I approach budgeting. We have a proposal to do something in our budget. We’ve got to have the funding to do it.”
