Michigan will crackdown on organized shoplifting rings

Governor Snyder has signed into law a new tool to crackdown on organized shoplifting.

Michigan retailers are near the end of a mediocre holiday shopping season.   But the governor’s signature making the Organized Retail Crime Act law should bring smiles to many store owners faces.

The act will make organized shoplifting a felony with a five year prison sentence. 

The Michigan Retailers Association supports the legislation.   An association spokesman says shoplifting rings run by organized crime have become a “huge problem”. 

Nationwide, shoplifting costs retailers $15 to $30 billion annually, with organized shoplifting gangs representing a growing percentage of the problem.