SC’s new “organized retail crime” bill raises penalties for “grab and go” thieves

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — A new SC bill recently signed into law aims to fight what’s known as “organized retail crime” — by raising the penalties associated with it.

Viral videos on social media have become all too common, showing incidents known as “grab and go” or “smash and grab” happening across the U.S.

“It is happening in SC already. We may not hear about it quite the same as we sometimes see on the news in bigger cities but it’s here,” says Krista Hinson, Executive Director for the SC Retail Association.

The passing of House Bill 3523 aims to thwart large scale theft activity by issuing felonies for “organized retail crime” — defined as just two or more people, groups, or gangs that conspire to steal large quantities of merchandise.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Jeff Johnson of Horry County, and backed by Attorney General Alan Wilson.

“We’re not putting up with it, and we’re increasing the penalties and we’re gonna start prosecuting it,” says Johnson.

Representatives from major chain stores were also at the Statehouse to support the law including Publix, Walgreens, Walmart, Spinx, Home Depot, and Lowes.

Wilson says mom and pop stores are just as affected by organized retail crime, driving costs up statewide for owners and consumers.

“They’re suffering from this crime as well. This is just as much protecting them as the big businesses. But also protecting consumers, but also protecting consumers, because the cost of deterrence, and catching this crime gets borne by the end user which is the consumer,” he says.

According to the AG’s office, companies have endured approximately $120 billion in financial losses nationwide and millions of dollars lost here in SC.

“It’s also why things you want to buy without having to ask an associate like a razor or a toothbrush might be locked up behind a plastic shelf, and you have to get someone to open it for you, and that is all the result of this increased retail theft activity and organized retail crime at a large scale. So it’s really important in states like SC where you think it’s not happening, it’s here too, and we want to make sure we don’t welcome it and we don’t become a destination for it,” says Hinson.

The bill also brings steep financial and jail time penalties should an employee or customer be shoved or harmed during a theft.

“It’s been said that this is gonna go after the one-off teenager who’s made a bad choice, and that’s not the intent. It’s to go after repeat offenders on a large scale who are doing this for a business,” says Hinson.

The Attorney General has also joined 38 other states in sending a letter to Congress — asking them to address organized retail crime on a national level.