WASHINGTON — The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) has called on lawmakers to enact stronger measures against organized retail crime and rising violence, ahead of a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the matter.
In a letter to members of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance, NACS thanked Chairman Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) and Ranking Member Lucy McBath (D-Ga.) for holding the hearing titled “Protecting Consumers and Businesses: Confronting Organized Retail Crime.” The association highlighted the increasing impact of retail crime on convenience and fuel retailers across the country.
NACS observed that, while organized retail crime impacts retailers of all sizes, crimes at convenience and fuel stations often differ from traditional organized retail theft. These incidents include everything from complex fuel theft schemes to repeated criminal acts on or near store premises, often accompanied by increasing violence.
According to the association, increasing crime has forced many retailers to invest heavily in security measures and, in some cases, has made continued operations in high-crime areas impossible. Store closures, NACS warned, can lead to job losses, decreased local tax revenue, and reduced access to essential goods for nearby communities.
The letter also expressed frustration with inconsistent enforcement of existing laws related to public camping, vandalism, drug use, and other public nuisances that create unsafe conditions around retail locations. NACS highlighted Arizona’s Proposition 312 as an example of an accountability-focused approach that has already led municipalities to tackle encampments and enforce current laws.
NACS urged the Subcommittee to consider similar accountability ideas at the federal level and reiterated its support for the Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA), which seeks to improve coordination among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and to disrupt organized theft rings before they turn violent.
