Will County Gazette

Sen. John Curran (R-Downers Grove) is sponsoring bipartisan legislation that aims to combat organized retail theft.

"Often times, the individuals who commit the actual theft of goods are lower-level participants in the chain. Through this new robust approach, law enforcement can coordinate with local, state and federal authorities to bring all participants to justice, from the planners and perpetrators of the crime, to those who transport and sell the goods either online or in a different location," Curran said in a statement posted on his website.

The legislation that Curran is sponsoring was unveiled at a Statehouse press conference on  Tuesday. 

"These are sophisticated criminal theft enterprises, and the provisions of Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 1091 should serve as a strong deterrent. And of even greater importance, the legislation empowers our law enforcement officials to get these criminals off the street and held accountable for their actions," Curran said. "The multi-jurisdictional approach to this legislation strips away any perceived shield these criminals think they may enjoy by acting in one particular location, as these organized operations ultimately result in stolen goods being transported and resold throughout the state."

ABC7 Chicago reported that in 2020, goods worth $4 billion were stolen from Illinois retailers. "There's a greater organized scheme behind it sometimes tied to drug trafficking, gang activity, human trafficking," said Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.

Rob Karr of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association told Fox 32 News that organized retail theft has grown as much as 60% in the past five years. "What’s difficult for retail, is retail isn’t like a factory or a government office building. We can’t have everything behind lock and key," said Karr. "All of us are victims of retail theft, particularly organized retail crime. Every item that is stolen from a store, there is no sales tax collected on that item."