(WXYZ) — Retail theft is up across the nation, from big cities like New York, Minneapolis, Chicago and San Francisco.
Some stores are locking up merchandise, while others are closing up shop and moving out of cities.
Walgreens announced they're closing five stores in San Francisco. Their reasoning was organized retail crime.
With the holidays right around the corner, it could get worse.
In metro Detroit, we are not seeing what other major cities are seeing, but retail theft is happening in our area still.
According to the National Retail Federation, there were nearly $61.7 billion in reported thefts in 2019, up from a reported $50.6 billion in 2018.
The reason? Shoplifting and organized retail crime.
Roseville Police Chief Ryan Monroe said shoplifting is a problem, and a movement for less harsh sentences is also adding fuel to the fire.
"Traditionally we have always seen a lot of shoplifting with some of our retailers and outlets in the city. The only difference is that Michigan's law on shoplifting it's all dependent on the dollar value. Under a certain dollar value, you go to jail," Monroe said.
For example, since Proposal 47 passed in California, making what once was a felony now a misdemeanor, thefts including shoplifting anything under $950 have skyrocketed, giving way to more organized crime.
"Those that are taking from others they shouldn't be just slapped on the hand and be released and say don't worry about it," Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said. "What message does that send our children or our grandchildren? The message is wrong."
In Michigan, laws are harsher for a person who steals over $1,000 of property. It's a felony and they can face a $10,000 fine and up to five years in prison.
The organized retail crime in Michigan is a felony, with a max fine of $5,000 and five years in prison.
Lucido said having uniformed officers is a deterrent, but when it comes down to the thefts, the consumer pays the price.
In 2020, Macomb County had 597 retail thefts charged – 509 of which were misdemeanors and 88 were felonies.
In Novi, as a city, they are seeing a decrease in the numbers but said the laws on the books help deter crime.
"We actively prosecute shoplifters when we have enough probable cause to make that arrest and our prosecution is great for our state," Novi Police Lt. Amanda Kulikowski said.
"We want to teach our next generation it is not right nor can it be right to do what's going on here," Lucido said.
With holiday shopping around the corner, law enforcement will be keeping a closer eye on retail theft and fraud.
