Anti-theft bill
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
Task force to combat organized retail theft would be created by Attorney General and FBI in consultation with industry reps under legislation authorizing appropriations for the Department of Justice for fiscal years 2006-2009. HR 3402, signed by President Bush Jan. 5, mandates task force establish a "national database or clearinghouse housed and maintained in the private sector to track and identify where organized retail theft type crimes are being committed in the United States," bill notes. Legislation would provide $5 mil. per year for each of fiscal years 2006-2009 to create the database, train law enforcement and to conduct investigations and prosecutions of persons involved in organized retail theft. Language was backed by the Coalition Against Organized Retail Theft, which comprises stakeholders such as Gillette, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, Duane Reade and Eckerd. Items most likely to be targeted by professional theft rings include OTC products and razors, according to the group...