Drummond fighting organized retail crime on national, state levels

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 6, 2025) – Attorney General Gentner Drummond is urging Congress to take action against the rising threat of organized retail crime across the country. He said such efforts would complement House Bill 1592, approved yesterday by that chamber, which would strengthen Oklahoma’s ability to combat these criminal enterprises.

Drummond, who has already recognized the importance of the issue in Oklahoma by creating the Organized Retail Theft Unit in his office, has joined a 38-state and territory bipartisan coalition to address the problem at the federal level.

Organized retail crime has caused more than $121 billion in losses to U.S. businesses. The crime wave has also turned physically dangerous, with 76 percent of retail security managers reporting that their employees have faced violence from organized retail criminals.

“Organized retail crime has reached a level never before seen in this country, and Oklahoma families are feeling the impact,” said Drummond. “When retailers are forced to close stores due to theft and violence, it’s Oklahoma consumers who pay the price through higher costs and reduced access to essential goods. Rural and underserved communities across our state are particularly vulnerable when they lose access to groceries, medication and everyday necessities. I’m fighting to protect Oklahoma businesses and ensure that our citizens don’t bear the burden of these criminal enterprises.”

The coalition wrote a letter to Congress pushing for the reintroduction of two key bills from the previous year’s session: the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act and the Organized Retail Crime Center Authorization Act. These bills would expand upon and synchronize state and federal efforts with the creation of an Organized Retail Crime Coordination Center at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, facilitating the information sharing necessary to address the complex cross-border nature of organized retail crime.

HB 1592 provides clear definitions for organized retail crime and establishes stronger penalties for offenders. The bill also continues the Oklahoma Organized Retail Crime Task Force until June 1, 2026, with staffing provided by the Office of the Attorney General. This 15-member task force will provide the Legislature and the Governor with information on organized retail crime and potential countermeasures to reduce retail theft losses in the state. Authored by Rep. John George, Rep. Tim Turner and Sen. Darrell Weaver, the measure passed the House yesterday on a 71-17 vote.