MIDLAND, Texas — For years, retail stores like Walmart have been affected by organized retail theft.
Organized criminal organizations and gangs have been targeting retail stores to swipe their goods, turn around and sell the stolen goods to make a quick profit.
While it is hard to tell just how much is stolen in terms of dollars, it's easy to call this a problem not just in Texas, but across the country.
“It's hard to say what the dollar amount from day to day or from store to store is. What we know is that it is a significant problem nationwide," said Nathan Smith, part of Walmart's senior council regarding organized retail theft. "Nationwide, it makes an appreciable impact, not only on the cost of items that retailers sell, but also in the availability.”
Organized retail theft doesn't get its name because it is just one or two shoplifters acting on their own.
It is a highly organized group effort involving multiple people.
“When we talk about organized retail crime, we really mean organized. We're talking about criminal organizations that are involved in this and they do it so they can make money," Smith said. "In doing that, they deprive citizens of the ability to get these items. It's very organized, just like the drug trade or anything else.”
They certainly come prepared with a gameplan as well.
Sticky fingered criminals know exactly what they want when they walk into the stores.
“They actually have a list of items that people come in with," Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Glenn Hegar said. "They'll steal beauty supplies along with video and computer equipment. A lot of it ends up being in the hygiene and beauty supply area because it's small items and things that are high value, and they can resell those pretty quickly.”
It's why the Organized Retail Theft Taskforce was formed.
Made up of various retailers alongside the Texas legislature, the taskforce has been coming up with different ideas to combat these thieves and plan on presenting them to state legislature.
“We need to essentially make sure that one, we are providing more resources at the state level and the local level," Hegar said. "[We also need to know] that we are being a good partner to our retail partners in the state and protecting consumers and those that are working in the store.”
Some of those solutions also include harsher penalties to shoplifters who get caught with their hand in the cookie jar and make sure they don't do it again.
“Prosecutors typically will charge the simplest and cleanest charge, like a theft. So one thing that the legislature will consider next year is a change - or an addition - to the organized retail crime law in Texas," Smith said. "We're hopeful that they'll make a change that makes that law have some additional usefulness and teeth to prosecutors as they look at what are the best charges for each of these cases.”
Other solutions offered include partnerships between retailers and local governments and the state so that local governments are properly arresting and prosecuting shoplifters.