Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is cosponsoring bipartisan legislation to combat organized retail theft in the United States.
The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 creates an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which will be composed of law enforcement and retail industry representatives.
Additionally, federal investigators of organized retail crime will have a leg up in catching and prosecuting the perpetrators of these crimes and reclaiming stolen goods.
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Organized retail crime often takes the form of flash mob robberies (you may have seen footage of large groups of people robbing stores of merchandise at once) and other retail theft schemes.
According to the National Retail Federation, 73% of retailers have said these attacks have become more brazen in the past year, and 84% worry about increasing violence.
In Arizona alone, retailers lost $1.5 billion in revenue via theft in 2022, while Maricopa County cases in 2024 doubled compared to the year before.
"Organized retail theft is a growing threat to Arizona's businesses, workers, and families," said Sen. Gallego in his press release, adding, "When criminal rings target our stores, it drives up prices, puts workers at risk, and hurts small businesses just trying to get by. I'm proud to support this bipartisan legislation to crack down on these crimes and keep Arizona safe."
Sen. Gallego joins Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) in sponsoring the bill, making this the third bipartisan bill he has cosponsored with the Iowa and Nevada Senators.
In February, the three backed the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, which cracks down on the use of the veterinary tranquilizer xylazine as a recreational drug.
More recently, in April, the Arizona Senator worked with Sens. Grassley and Cortez Masto to introduce the Invest to Protect Act of 2025, which invests in key areas of law enforcement, including training in de-escalation and domestic violence incidents. It also bolsters recruitment efforts, aids in retention bonuses, provides tuition assistance, and allows departments to invest in mental health resources for officers.
