Tackling ORC in Utah

Tackling Organized Retail Crime in Utah: Insights from James Russell of the CASE Strike Force

Supervising Special Agent James Russell of Utah’s CASE Strike Force discusses the significant progress of the four-year-old coalition of major retailers and law enforcement established to address the rising tide of organized retail crime (ORC) in the state.

The scope of CASE Strike Force

The CASE Strike Force primarily focuses on organized retail crime—where individuals steal for profit—and their associated networks. Additionally, the team tackles intellectual property crimes, such as the sale of counterfeit products, and specific issues like catalytic converter theft. Essentially, the Strike Force targets any crime where a business is a victim.

The scale of the problem in Utah

While Utah may not face the same level of organized retail crime as states like California, the problem is still significant. Agent Russell shared that Utah retailers deal with thefts daily, sometimes facing multiple incidents in a single day. In 2021 alone, Utah lost roughly half a billion dollars due to retail theft.

Challenges in investigations and prosecutions

Investigating and prosecuting ORC is challenging due to the organized nature of these crimes. Often, perpetrators caught in the act have only a fraction of the stolen goods they're responsible for. The CASE Strike Force works to compile evidence from multiple thefts to build a comprehensive case against these criminals. This process is akin to narcotics investigations, starting with smaller arrests and working up the chain to larger organizations.

Impact of the CASE Strike Force

While exact numbers are hard to come by, anecdotal evidence suggests that the Strike Force’s efforts are helping. Retailers have reported meeting or exceeding their shrinkage goals, indicating a positive impact. Despite the frustrations of seeing repeat offenders, the coordinated efforts are yielding results, including successful restitution and a general reduction in theft incidents.

Retail's Most Wanted is presented by LVT and the Attorney General Alliance.