The New Jersey Food Council (NJFC) expressed its appreciation to Gov. Phil Murphy and Attorney General Matthew Platkin for the support of a comprehensive bill to combat organized retail crime and protect retail businesses and its workforce.
Murphy signed the bill, A-4755/S-3587, on April 1. The legislation targets the leaders of criminal enterprises that are jeopardizing the food retailing business while protecting employees and shoppers.
Over the past year, NJFC has been closely working with legislators and a coalition of other proactive business associations to strongly advocate for this bill, co-sponsored by more than 50 legislators.
This bill addresses many direct threats to the livelihood of New Jersey grocers, as professional theft rings continue to steal laundry detergent, over-the-counter medication, baby formula, energy drinks, razors, teeth whitening strips, deodorant and other in-demand items from stores.
“We are pleased to join in this effort to fight to protect businesses, store employees and shoppers who depend on affordable, quality products that can be purchased safely and confidently,” said NJFC President and CEO Linda Doherty.
“Together, under the leadership of Gov. Murphy and Attorney General Platkin, we will drastically reduce the amount of organized retail theft that has become an epidemic in New Jersey.”
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According to the National Retail Federation, more than two-thirds of retail employee respondents in 2023 say they experienced an increase in violence and aggression from organized retail crime perpetrators compared with 2022.
The bill creates the crime of aggravated assault of a retail worker, gives prosecutors the option to request enhanced sentencing for persistent offenders, provides a look-back period for the aggregation of the value of the amount of stolen goods to determine the grade of the crime and increases the penalty for tax evasion in connection with being a leader of an organized retail crime enterprise.
Moreover, the state is creating the offense of fostering the sale of stolen property, combating gift card fraud and directing the attorney general to undertake action to promote the effective investigation, prosecution and deterrence of organized retail theft in the state, which may include establishing a retail theft unit, task force or other appropriate office or an initiative in the Department of Law and Public Safety.
“New Jersey is taking a defiant stance and recognizing that organized retail crime is not just petty shoplifting from the neighborhood grocer,” Doherty said. “We are fighting a behemoth operation of professional thieves that are methodically moving from one town to another in New Jersey, and across state lines, stealing merchandise off shelves and reselling them in the gray marketplace.”
Other states, such as California, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Illinois, have already taken critical steps to combat organized retail crime. And, because of this effective crackdown in neighboring states, New Jersey retailers are seeing a large increase in these crimes here.
“With the governor’s signature, professional thieves will no longer see New Jersey as an ‘opportunity’ for organized retail crime enterprises,” Doherty said. “Together, we are drastically reducing the amount of organized retail theft that has become an epidemic in New Jersey. This new law signals there’s a new sheriff in town.”