Organized Retail Crime — What Retailers Need To Know

A Q&A With Paul Jones, Vice President Of Asset Protection, Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA)

Paul Jones, vice president of asset protection for the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), has been involved in retail loss prevention for more than 20 years. He began his career as a store investigator and moved up the ranks, working for such companies as Bradlees, Kmart, Federated Department Stores, Mervyns, Sunglass Hut, and ultimately Limited Brands, were he was SVP and CSO of loss prevention and global security. We recently had the opportunity to connect with Jones to discuss the complex problem of organized retail crime (ORC), its substantial impact on the industry, and what retailers, consumers, legislators, and law enforcement professionals need to do about it.

Why are we hearing so much about ORC these days?

ORC is a growing epidemic that has cost retailers tens of billions of dollars each year, and that's just part of the problem. More important is the public health risks that ORC poses. Legitimate retailers spend millions of dollars to ensure that products such as over-the-counter medicines, infant formula, perfume, and diabetic test strips are stored and shipped appropriately. I have yet to find an organized crime ring that takes any such precautions. In fact, we have seen these sensitive items being housed and shipped in deplorable conditions. If diabetic test strips, for example, are not stored appropriately, they may provide false readings, putting diabetics, who are reliant on constant blood sugar monitoring, in great peril.

As such, I strongly recommend that consumers only purchase these products from legitimate established retailers who can validate the chain of custody of their products. This is the only way to ensure that the product is not spoiled, tainted, or otherwise at risk.