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'This ain't about shoplifting': KY retailers, law enforcement say organized theft on the rise

WUKY | By Josh James

Published December 16, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST

FILE - Pharmaceutical items are kept locked in a glass cabinet at a supermarket, Tuesday Jan. 31, 2023. A move to repeal a new Virginia law that makes organized retail theft a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison was defeated for this year after members of a a House subcommittee voted Monday, Jan. 22, 2024, to send the bill to the Virginia State Crime Commission for further study. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman plans to seek more than $2 million next year to create an Organized Retail Crime Unit.

Coleman and the Kentucky Retail Federation say major theft operations are becoming a problem for retailers, and more coordination is needed to stop it.

"We're not talking about shoplifting," Coleman said during a recent press conference. "What we're talking about is organized crime. What we're talking about is violence."

FILE - Tubes of toothpaste are displayed behind a locked, plastic barrier to prevent shoplifters from stealing the products at a store in the Manhattan borough of New York on January 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)

Federation President Todd Griffin said sophisticated networks designed to steal from retailers are leading to job losses, closed stores, and a major economic hit.

"Studies show that Kentucky retailers lose an outstanding $2 billion in total revenue due to theft each year. And last year saw a troubling 30% increase in organized retail crime," he reported.

Coleman's proposed unit dedicated to retail crime would include four detectives, two criminal analysts, and a prosecutor — similar to task forces that have been set up in other states, including Illinois, Michigan, and California.