LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — When Las Vegas resident Jazzmin Young went to a local Walmart store on Friday, she ran into an issue that she's seen a lot of lately.
Some of the items she wanted to buy were locked up in big cabinet displays, so she had to alert a store employee to open it for her.
"Even the simple things, like cotton balls, were locked up," Young said.
The trend is fairly recent as retailers say they need to take more precautions to hinder shoplifters. It's not just the kind who might steal a couple items, but also organized outfits that steal and then sell items to turn a profit.
Rep. Susie Lee held a news conference in a Las Vegas Target parking lot — in the sweltering heat — Friday afternoon to talk about the issue.
Lee wants to see if she can help push the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, a 2023 piece of legislation that is now stalled in Congress, though some insiders say it's been gaining momentum.
In part, the legislation would make it harder for thieves and others to sell stolen goods, especially online.
According to Lee's office, the bill has the support of 123 members of the House. In the Senate, it has 16 cosponsors, including Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa.
"Let's face it, it's bad for everyone," Lee said. "When you factor in lost products, higher insurance, and an increased cost of goods...it's a pain felt by all different types of businesses. This is organized crime that is run, sometimes, by international criminal syndicates."
Part of the problem is also bands of thieves who rush into stores, grab as much merchandise as they can, then run out. Often, security at stores are told to not accost the thieves.
Bryan Wachter of the Retail Association of Nevada, who was also at Friday's press conference, says theft, organized or not, is also a threat to store employee safety.
"We have had too many stories of retail employees being maimed, stabbed or hurt because of these criminal activities," Wachter said.
For this story, Channel 13 reached out to a number of national retailers to get their take on the efforts to battle retail theft. Evelyn Fornes of The Home Depot said some of the most targeted items for thieves include wire and wiring devices, items that the home improvement giant would usually carry.
"Organized retail crime has been on the rise over the last several years for many retailers," Fornes said in an email.
According to the National Retail Federation, stores suffered over $112 billion in losses in 2022, a metric also referred to as "retail shrink."
