WR helped plan and present the two-day Western States Organized Retail Crime Alliance Virtual Conference. Hundreds of loss prevention, asset protection, law enforcement, prosecutors, government affairs professionals, policymakers, and federal, state, and local authorities beamed into the information-packed eight-hour-long presentations and Q and A sessions.
ORC continues to be the leading issue for retailers across the nation. According to the National Retail Federation, retailers in the U.S. lost $100 billion in products to theft. Additionally, these crimes are becoming more dangerous and violent – affecting public safety in our communities.
Presenters included Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison, who discussed how her office is focusing on high utilizer criminals in ORC rings and her partnerships and coordination with the Seattle Police Department; retail loss prevention officers, who presented major case studies; King County Prosecuting attorneys; representatives for the Department of Homeland Security, who discussed national and international investigations; leaders from Organized Retail Crime Associations from around our region, who placed special focus on e-commerce ORC activity, and representatives from Idaho’s U.S. Attorney’s Office spoke about creating cases for federal prosecution. National presenters addressed the INFORM Act, which is pending before congress and adamantly supported by WR
As a member of the Washington Organized Retail Crime Association (WAORCA), WR is at the table and leading the way in ORC efforts to crack down on these crimes, hold criminals accountable, and, most importantly, protect public safety.
