FBI/Retail Orgs to Fight Crime

FBI/Retail Orgs to Fight Crime

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation has teamed up with two top American retailer associations on an initiative to combat organized retail theft, which costs the American retail industry billions per year. The system launched last month, but several major CE retailers have yet to join up. The initiative is called the Law Enforcement Retail Partnership Network (LERPnet), and is a collaboration among the FBI, the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA). It consists of the establishment of a nationwide database that allows retailers and law enforcement personnel to share information, both about suspects and about stolen merchandise itself, in order to bring down organized theft rings.

NRF and RILA had earlier introduced separate systems, and now have consolidated them, along with the FBI’s help, under the LERPnet banner. Best Buy, Circuit City and Wal*Mart are all members of the RILA, but none have yet agreed to participate in LERPnet. The Consumer Electronics Association is not involved in the initiative, either.

“We are not involved in this project at this time,” Circuit City spokesperson Jackie Foreman told Clique. “Theft is a major issue, and we are looking to get involved with trade groups (to address it),” she said.

“The database just launched (last month), and companies have to go through their internal practices,” said Hannah Abney, RILA’s vice president of communications. Indeed, an NRF executive told a Dow Jones Newswires reporter last month that they are attempting to ”bring Wal*Mart and Best Buy on board soon.” Asked if they are interested in bringing in the CE giants, RILA’s Abney said yes. “We’d like all companies to get involved in it. The more companies involved in it, the better it works for law enforcement.”

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