SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed a measure into law making it easier to pursue those who engage in the rapidly growing crime of organized retail theft.
Large-scale smash-and-grab crime exploded to the top of the legislative priority list with high-profile cases in Chicago, various California locales, and Minneapolis. Gangs enter stores in a coordinated fashion, break display cases, sweep up merchandise and run. Stolen goods are often sold to finance guns, human trafficking, and more.
The law creates a separate crime called organized retail crime which carries felony penalties.
It eliminates a roadblock to prosecution by allowing one prosecutor to file charges on all parts of the crime even if some elements occurred elsewhere.
