Bill Cracking Down on Organized Retail Theft Clears NC Senate

Legislation increases penalties for organized crime rings that steal thousands of dollars of merchandise

Creates consumer protection measures for online marketplaces

Raleigh, N.C. — Today, the North Carolina Senate passed Senate Bill 766, a law-and-order bill targeting organized retail crime.

The bill is a two-pronged effort that will help business owners, consumers, and law enforcement. It elevates penalties for all degrees of organized retail crime, and levies additional penalties for property damage and assaults committed during a theft. A new provision will allow business owners to retrieve property stolen during a theft more quickly.

In North Carolina, law enforcement agencies have busted crime rings and recovered hundreds of thousands of dollars in merchandise, including a $400,000 bust in Cabarrus County and a $250,000 bust in Charlotte.

“Crime is on the rise in the United States. We saw it during the summer riots in 2020, and we see it today with the violent smash-and-grab incidents from California to the Carolinas. Senate Bill 766 provides law enforcement stronger recourse to pursue these criminals and shows business owners that these crime rings will not be tolerated. We cannot let our state turn into a criminal’s playground like Democrat-run states,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Danny Earl Britt Jr. (R-Robeson) said.

Senate Bill 766 also creates new transparency standards for online marketplaces that host third-party sellers, putting consumers in a better position to know who and where they are buying goods from online.

The bill is supported by the North Carolina Retail Merchants Association, the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys, the North Carolina Chiefs of Police, and the North Carolina Sheriffs Association.

The bill passed unanimously. It now goes to the North Carolina House of Representatives for consideration.