Washington AG forms task force to tackle organized retail theft

Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson is creating a task force that will focus on organized retail crime.

Ferguson says that unlike typical shoplifting or theft that is driven by poverty, these organized thieves are stealing goods to make a profit. And he says it’s become a problem not only for retailers but for consumers too.

For example: Parents who need baby formula.

"These thieves become resellers and online marketplaces," Ferguson said. "And that means that parents who unwittingly buy stolen formula on the secondary market may be putting their babies at significant risk if the thieves, for example, fail to store the product at the appropriate temperatures, or if the thieves manipulate the packaging such as changing the expiration date."

The President of the Washington Retail Association notes that this kind of theft also means a loss of tax revenue for cities and counties throughout the state.

The task force will be made up of local, state, and federal agencies, along with small business and worker representatives. . It will meet quarterly over the next year.

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