Support continues to blossom for the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 (CORCA), which a slew of bipartisan legislators have joined together to co-sponsor.
A coalition of 38 state attorneys general have thrown their support behind the bill, which would mandate the creation of an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center, which would sit under the purview of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). That office would work to coordinate efforts between law enforcement and private retail loss prevention personnel, making it easier to apprehend repeat offenders.
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The proposal also underlines the importance of creating new tools to investigate and punish crimesters associated with retail theft rings and locating stolen merchandise and cash.
While the National Retail Federation (NRF), the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) and the American Trucking Association, among other trade groups, have already voiced their support for the bill, they have now urged lawmakers to pass it. Representatives David Joyce (R-Ohio) and Susie Lee (D-Nev.) have introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives.
RILA said bridging the gap between companies and government will ensure that organized retail crimesters are easier to identify and penalize.
“Organized criminal enterprises are endangering communities across the country through brazen and violent criminal acts that put retail employees and customers in harm’s way. Whether stealing mass quantities of products from retail stores or hijacking consumer goods throughout the supply chain, these gangs are wreaking havoc,” the organization said in a statement. “In order to expose and prosecute these sophisticated criminal rings, we need federal, state and local law enforcement to be coordinated, which is exactly what CORCA will do.”
The NRF echoed previous statements about the value of legislation like CORCA, which it maintains would protect retailers from widespread theft and crime issues. American Eagle Outfitters, a member of the trade group, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, supporting CORCA.
Scott McBride, chief global asset protection officer at American Eagle, said the proposed bill will protect the company and fellow retailers.
“As a professional dedicated to protecting customers and associates, I implore all members of the Congress to work together to ensure that the Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act urgently becomes the law of the land. This critical legislation will help us stop these senseless crimes in our communities,” McBride said in a statement.
American Eagle is far from the only company hoping to see legislators pass harsher laws against retail crime; Home Depot, which has seen targeted retail crime operations hitting its stores across the country, also testified at the hearing.
“The Home Depot strongly supports CORCA, and we are pleased to see that the Senate bill has over 20 bipartisan cosponsors. The bill would create the Organized Retail Crime Coordination Center, bringing together federal, state and local law enforcement and private sector experts to share information and collaborate on strategies to keep our stores, customers, and associates safe and secure,” the company said in a statement. “The bill would allow us to expand upon the progress made at the local and state levels and address cases that reach certain thresholds or cross state lines.”
Logistics organizations and companies have also started supporting CORCA.
Supply chain intelligence firm Overhaul projected at the outset of the year that cargo theft would increase by 22 percent between 2024 and 2025; in 2024, cargo thefts increased by 49 percent, as compared with 2023. Industry experts continue to highlight the growing crime, which often takes place near warehouses and fulfillment centers or is perpetuated when trucks and cargo freight are left unattended.
Donna Lemm, chief strategy officer of IMC Logistics, said the bill will ease the issues felt both by store operators and by third-party logistics players.
“It is imperative that action is taken at the federal, state, and local levels to confront and neutralize this growing threat. The trucking industry and our supply chain partners need more cooperation and interagency information-sharing, as well as a more robust investigative and prosecutorial posture, to tackle these challenges head on,” Lemm said in a statement.
