Organized retail theft caused an estimated $2 billion loss in Kentucky in a single year, according to Attorney General Russell Coleman.
Speaking at his Frankfort office on Wednesday, Coleman outlined the state’s newly formed organized retail crime unit, which was created earlier this year. He emphasized that the unit is not targeting petty shoplifters but focusing on gang-driven, organized retail theft operations.
“We’re talking about crews that are coming up from other states, coming into Kentucky, and we’re talking about an economic impact last year of $2 billion…in the Commonwealth…a 30% increase in one year,” Coleman said.
Coleman noted that Kentucky’s location along several major interstates makes it especially vulnerable, requiring an aggressive approach to deterrence.
“We’re not talking about a stolen comic book or stolen bubblegum. This is real money and real people hurting,” he said.
Since May, a single detective assigned to the organized retail crime unit has already secured multiple indictments, including cases involving suspects from outside the state, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
Looking ahead, Coleman said he plans to ask the General Assembly for additional funding next year to expand the unit. He warned that without stronger action, everyday Kentuckians will continue to feel the effects.
“Anyone who thinks this is just shoplifting, that’s not what we’re talking about. It’s violence, it’s closed stores and it’s higher prices that we’re all paying as a result of it,” Coleman said.
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