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ORC Resource Hub | Combating Organized Retail Crime in Washington State
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ORC Resource Hub | Combating Organized Retail Crime in Washington State
Resources
Understanding ORC
Best Practices
Law Enforcement, Investigation, and Prosecution
Training and Events
Technology and Tools
ORC Laws, Regulations, and Potential Enhancements
Industry Associations
News
Contacts
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Understanding ORC
Best Practices
Law Enforcement, Investigation, and Prosecution
Training and Events
Technology and Tools
ORC Laws, Regulations, and Potential Enhancements
Industry Associations
News
Contacts
Archived News →
Featured
Kennewick Police Seeking CA-Based Retail Theft 'Family'
Kennewick Police have issued a bulletin about a 3 member family who has committed a series of thefts from shoppers across the Tri-Cities area in late summer.

Read More →
Two women arrested for alleged theft of Ulta Beauty products at multiple stores
Two women were taken into custody for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars worth of Ulta Beauty products from multiple stores, including locations in Lacey and Olympia.

Read More →
Several suspects arrested in Kent, WA shoplifting sting
Kent Police arrested several suspects in a shoplifting operation this weekend, including a man who stuffed expensive meats down his pants and tried to walk out of a store with them.



Read More →
Shoplifting and retail theft force retailers to close more stores
Kroger, Target, Walgreens, and Whole Foods have closed stores due to crime, but local operators may be getting hit the hardest.

Read More →
Grays Harbor County man sentenced to more than 14 years in prison
Aberdeen man was convicted of numerous crimes on Aug. 29

Read More →
Renton woman, 20, sentenced in connection with theft ring
Convicted of one of the crimes associated with Lululemon theft ring; receives a sentence of time served.



Read More →
Revealed: The Top 10 Items Organized Retail Crime Rings Are Targeting in Retail Stores Now
If you've visited a big-box retailer such as Walmart or Target recently and noticed everyday items such as detergent or razors behind locked glass, you're not dreaming. It's a symptom of a covert, enormous issue tormenting retailers: organized retail crime.

Read More →
Strengthening supply chains: CORCA explained  
growing target of organized retail theft, with Class I railroads reporting a 40% jump in thefts from 2023 to 2024 and more than 65,000 incidents last year.

Read More →
Organized retail theft rings now “poisoning” gift cards to steal money
Have you bought a gift card recently from a big-box retailer? You could have inadvertently funded the sex trafficking of a child or the war in the Ukraine. Gift-card fraud is the latest trend in organized retail crime.

Read More →
The misperception of shrink and its impact on organized retail crime 
It’s time to set the record straight — claims that ORC losses are inflated due to inventory shrink are inaccurate 

Read More →
Kroger’s Fred Meyer closures in Puget Sound region spark debate over retail theft, impact
 A wave of grocery store closures is coming to Puget Sound as Kroger announced it will shut down 60 stores nationwide over the next 18 months,

Read More →
Retail crime task force proposed in response to Fred Meyer closures in western WA
Multiple Fred Meyer stores will be shutting their doors this fall in western Washington, with the company blaming it on a steady rise in theft.

Read More →
Prosecutor’s office: Retail crime cases increasing since 2021
Increase was attributed to the implementation of a prosecutor dedicated to working full-time on retail crime case filings.

Read More →
Balducci's plan for retail theft in King County includes more detectives, prosecutor
KING COUNTY, Wash. — New funding to fight organized retail theft is now part of the campaign platform for Claudia Balducci, who is seeking to become the next King County executive.

Read More →
King County prosecutors report significant progress in combatting retail crime | Westside Seattle
 As of June this year, King County Prosecutors have filed 142 retail theft cases.
Read More →

Stopping Rising Retail Crime Requires a Layered Approach to Security
A recent survey from the National Retail Federation revealed that 50 percent of retailers are more concerned with retail crime than they were just one year ago.
Read More →
Western WA leaders to share plans to address retail theft
A group of local leaders is expected to announce their plans to address retail theft.

Read More →
Senate hearing shines light on organized retail theft
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Lawmakers are sounding the alarm over a surge in organized retail crime, warning that criminal enterprises, not petty shoplifters, are driving a wave of thefts that’s devastating businesses across the country.

Read More →
The misperception of shrink and its impact on organized retail crime
It’s time to set the record straight — claims that ORC losses are inflated due to inventory shrink are inaccurate

Read More →
Suspects steal estimated $2 million of jewelry in brazen daytime robbery
The suspects used a hammer to smash the locked front glass door of the West Seattle jewelry store.
Read More →

Walmart touts AI for fraudulent marketplace seller detection
Dive Brief
Walmart touts AI for fraudulent marketplace seller detection
The company uses AI-driven and real-time monitoring of product listings to search for policy compliance and IP infringement.

Read More →

Cargo theft moves into focus as Congress mulls how to fight organized retail crime
Cargo theft was in focus during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing focused on organized retail crime last week, a departure from the previous emphasis on store-based shoplifting and smash-and-grabs.

Read More →

American Eagle Outfitters, Home Depot Speak in Support of Federal Retail Crime Prevention Bill
Support continues to blossom for the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 (CORCA), which a slew of bipartisan legislators have joined together to co-sponsor. 

Read More →

 Cargo Theft: A Crisis for the Supply Chain - TheTrucker.com
A leading, nationwide trucking company told the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that cargo theft is a crisis impacting the entire supply chain that requires immediate action from Congress.

Read More →

RILA Researches the Underreporting of Retail Theft
Is retail theft up, or is it down? 

Read More →

Walmart makes drastic change to fight theft amid worrying trend - TheStreet
Walmart makes drastic change to fight theft amid worrying trend
The change could cause a major inconvenience for customers.

Read More →

Armenian organized crime rings charged with stealing $83 million in Amazon cargo
The Department of Justice charged members or associates of an Armenian organized crime ring with stealing more than $83 million worth of cargo from Amazon.
Read More →

Kennewick police arrest two in connection to retail store thefts
KENNEWICK, Wash. – Two people were sent to the Benton County Jail after police investigating a shoplifting incident tracked them to a motel room where they were storing several stolen goods, according to the Kennewick Police Department.

Read More →

Man arrested for alleged retail theft at Home Depot in Olympia
A 36-year-old man was arrested following an alleged theft incident at Home Depot at 1325 Fones Road SE in Olympia on Friday, June 13. 

Read More →

Hundreds Of People Arrested During Coordinated Nationwide Retail Crime Crackdown
Retailers included in this operation were Home Depot, Ulta Beauty, Walgreens, T.J. Maxx, Kroger, Meijer, Macy's, Target, Walgreens and others

Read More →

Featured
Kennewick Police Seeking CA-Based Retail Theft 'Family'
Kennewick Police have issued a bulletin about a 3 member family who has committed a series of thefts from shoppers across the Tri-Cities area in late summer.

Read More →
Two women arrested for alleged theft of Ulta Beauty products at multiple stores
Two women were taken into custody for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars worth of Ulta Beauty products from multiple stores, including locations in Lacey and Olympia.

Read More →
Several suspects arrested in Kent, WA shoplifting sting
Kent Police arrested several suspects in a shoplifting operation this weekend, including a man who stuffed expensive meats down his pants and tried to walk out of a store with them.



Read More →
Shoplifting and retail theft force retailers to close more stores
Kroger, Target, Walgreens, and Whole Foods have closed stores due to crime, but local operators may be getting hit the hardest.

Read More →
Grays Harbor County man sentenced to more than 14 years in prison
Aberdeen man was convicted of numerous crimes on Aug. 29

Read More →
Renton woman, 20, sentenced in connection with theft ring
Convicted of one of the crimes associated with Lululemon theft ring; receives a sentence of time served.



Read More →
Revealed: The Top 10 Items Organized Retail Crime Rings Are Targeting in Retail Stores Now
If you've visited a big-box retailer such as Walmart or Target recently and noticed everyday items such as detergent or razors behind locked glass, you're not dreaming. It's a symptom of a covert, enormous issue tormenting retailers: organized retail crime.

Read More →
Strengthening supply chains: CORCA explained  
growing target of organized retail theft, with Class I railroads reporting a 40% jump in thefts from 2023 to 2024 and more than 65,000 incidents last year.

Read More →
Organized retail theft rings now “poisoning” gift cards to steal money
Have you bought a gift card recently from a big-box retailer? You could have inadvertently funded the sex trafficking of a child or the war in the Ukraine. Gift-card fraud is the latest trend in organized retail crime.

Read More →
The misperception of shrink and its impact on organized retail crime 
It’s time to set the record straight — claims that ORC losses are inflated due to inventory shrink are inaccurate 

Read More →
Kroger’s Fred Meyer closures in Puget Sound region spark debate over retail theft, impact
 A wave of grocery store closures is coming to Puget Sound as Kroger announced it will shut down 60 stores nationwide over the next 18 months,

Read More →
Retail crime task force proposed in response to Fred Meyer closures in western WA
Multiple Fred Meyer stores will be shutting their doors this fall in western Washington, with the company blaming it on a steady rise in theft.

Read More →
Prosecutor’s office: Retail crime cases increasing since 2021
Increase was attributed to the implementation of a prosecutor dedicated to working full-time on retail crime case filings.

Read More →
Balducci's plan for retail theft in King County includes more detectives, prosecutor
KING COUNTY, Wash. — New funding to fight organized retail theft is now part of the campaign platform for Claudia Balducci, who is seeking to become the next King County executive.

Read More →
King County prosecutors report significant progress in combatting retail crime | Westside Seattle
 As of June this year, King County Prosecutors have filed 142 retail theft cases.
Read More →

Stopping Rising Retail Crime Requires a Layered Approach to Security
A recent survey from the National Retail Federation revealed that 50 percent of retailers are more concerned with retail crime than they were just one year ago.
Read More →
Western WA leaders to share plans to address retail theft
A group of local leaders is expected to announce their plans to address retail theft.

Read More →
Senate hearing shines light on organized retail theft
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Lawmakers are sounding the alarm over a surge in organized retail crime, warning that criminal enterprises, not petty shoplifters, are driving a wave of thefts that’s devastating businesses across the country.

Read More →
The misperception of shrink and its impact on organized retail crime
It’s time to set the record straight — claims that ORC losses are inflated due to inventory shrink are inaccurate

Read More →
Suspects steal estimated $2 million of jewelry in brazen daytime robbery
The suspects used a hammer to smash the locked front glass door of the West Seattle jewelry store.
Read More →

Walmart touts AI for fraudulent marketplace seller detection
Dive Brief
Walmart touts AI for fraudulent marketplace seller detection
The company uses AI-driven and real-time monitoring of product listings to search for policy compliance and IP infringement.

Read More →

Cargo theft moves into focus as Congress mulls how to fight organized retail crime
Cargo theft was in focus during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing focused on organized retail crime last week, a departure from the previous emphasis on store-based shoplifting and smash-and-grabs.

Read More →

American Eagle Outfitters, Home Depot Speak in Support of Federal Retail Crime Prevention Bill
Support continues to blossom for the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 (CORCA), which a slew of bipartisan legislators have joined together to co-sponsor. 

Read More →

 Cargo Theft: A Crisis for the Supply Chain - TheTrucker.com
A leading, nationwide trucking company told the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that cargo theft is a crisis impacting the entire supply chain that requires immediate action from Congress.

Read More →

RILA Researches the Underreporting of Retail Theft
Is retail theft up, or is it down? 

Read More →

Walmart makes drastic change to fight theft amid worrying trend - TheStreet
Walmart makes drastic change to fight theft amid worrying trend
The change could cause a major inconvenience for customers.

Read More →

Armenian organized crime rings charged with stealing $83 million in Amazon cargo
The Department of Justice charged members or associates of an Armenian organized crime ring with stealing more than $83 million worth of cargo from Amazon.
Read More →

Kennewick police arrest two in connection to retail store thefts
KENNEWICK, Wash. – Two people were sent to the Benton County Jail after police investigating a shoplifting incident tracked them to a motel room where they were storing several stolen goods, according to the Kennewick Police Department.

Read More →

Man arrested for alleged retail theft at Home Depot in Olympia
A 36-year-old man was arrested following an alleged theft incident at Home Depot at 1325 Fones Road SE in Olympia on Friday, June 13. 

Read More →

Hundreds Of People Arrested During Coordinated Nationwide Retail Crime Crackdown
Retailers included in this operation were Home Depot, Ulta Beauty, Walgreens, T.J. Maxx, Kroger, Meijer, Macy's, Target, Walgreens and others

Read More →

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The ORC Resource Hub website is a collaboration between Challenge Seattle, Washington Retail Association (WR), and the Washington Organized Retail Crime Association (WAORCA).

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