Illinois retailers are proposing legislation to crack down on organized thefts from retail establishments.
Stores in the Chicago area and other parts of the state have seen a dramatic increase in thefts of large quantities of items, which are then often resold online. The Illinois Retail Merchants Association and Attorney General Kwame Raoul are seeking creation of a new crime of organized retail theft, which would cover the planning and execution of such thefts and the attempt to resell the goods elsewhere.
The proposal would allow the attorney general to take such cases before a statewide grand jury, and would pay for creation of new positions in the AG’s office and in state’s attorney’s office to pursue such cases.
