This week the Oregon State Senate passed Senate Bill 340 with little opposition, which is said to significantly increases penalties for organized retail theft repeat offenders. Organized retail crime refers to groups operating multijurisdictional, coordinated schemes or enterprises to commit a variety of financial crimes, and sometimes include violent tactics.

Under SB 340, individuals convicted of organized retail theft will face harsher penalties. The new law will also amend and strengthen current statutes to allow law enforcement and prosecutors to aggregate the value of stolen property over 180 days for purposes of proving the crime of organized retail theft, and allows prosecutors to add multiple theft transactions together if they were against the same or multiple victims within a one-year period. Finally, it will create more accountability for people who threaten retail workers while committing theft.

The US Chamber of Commerce reports that 57% of retailers have reported a rise in organized retail crime in the past year. These thefts often involve networks of criminals who target high-value merchandise, causing significant financial losses for retailers, increasing costs for consumers and an unsafe work environment for retail workers.

Senator Floyd Prozanski (D-Eugene) said, “Organized retail theft is a threat to consumers, employees, and local businesses. The passage of Senate Bill 340 is a strong statement that we will not tolerate organized retail theft in our state and will work to ensure safe communities for all.”

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Senator Brian Boquist (R-Polk & Yamhill) has a different opinion. Voting against the bill, he says, “SB 340 is a pathetic response to retail theft in which prosecutors have refused to prosecute retail theft. When District Attorneys came under political pressure for allowing massive retail theft, we get this bill. It does nothing. It makes a crime of repeat offender theft but District Attorneys do not prosecute the first theft so the public gets nothing. Police and Sheriffs are told not to arrest retail thieves as public prosecutors will not take thieves to court. Now to combat public outrage that hurts the reelection of elected officials we get this bill referencing “repeat property offenders.” Since thieves are not being charged by elected District Attorneys the first time, then, what repeat offenders exist for a judge to sentence? Enforce existing laws. Then SB 340 extends the theft statute of limitations and allows charge bundling to make it look like prosecutors were powerless in the past. They were not. RICO and other ORSs allowed prosecution but DAs have not prosecuted. The closure and departure of corporate stores is 100% the fault of failing District Attorneys. This bill is purely political. Where is the Attorney General?”

SB 340 is the product of the Organized Retail Crime Task Force, which is made up of industry and labor stakeholders that could be negatively impacted by organized retail crime. SB 340 now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2023-04-12 11:45:54

Last Update: 2023-04-11 18:02:58

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