Retail theft isn't just happening in Wisconsin, as the nation sees an increase. | Unsplash/Viktor Bystrov
Retail theft isn't just happening in Wisconsin, as the nation sees an increase. | Unsplash/Viktor Bystrov
Wisconsin police are working intimately with retailers to lower the temperature of retail theft.
Fox 6 Now reports that the majority of crime in Grafton is retail theft, so both groups are working to combat that.
"We understand the severity of what’s going on right now across our country," Grafton Police Chief Jeff Caponera said, according to Fox 6 Now.
Retail theft has been on the rise for some time, according to Fox 6 Now.
"A lot of our crime in the village is retail theft related," Caponera said, per Fox 6 Now.
Police and retailers were able to network recently at the Wisconsin Organized Retail Crime Association (WIORCA) conference, according to Fox 6 Now.
"Having all of us together talking about this, sharing our ideas, sharing our struggles, will hopefully get us all together and put some faces to the names, so we can reach out and know who to talk to when we need help," Caponera told Fox 6 Now.
The hope is to create a safer environment for employees and customers and also to enact stricter laws, according to Fox 6 Now.
"In general, what we’re trying to do is try to stiffen the penalties in terms of felony thresholds and the level of which it’s prosecuted," WIORCA President Telly Knetter said, per Fox 6 Now.
Retailers feel the burden of $720,000 every $1 billion in sales from theft.
"I want the criminals to know we’re banning together because we’re tired of dealing with this, and we’re going to do what we need to do to eliminate it," Caponera said, per Fox 6 Now.
Officials tell Fox 6 Now that retail theft isn't limited to just Wisconsin, as the entire nation is witnessing a surge in crime.
Alerts Sign-up