SPRINGFIELD – A new group has been established to help in the fight against organized retail crime. The Illinois Organized Retail Crime Association (ILORCA) will help streamline coordination between law enforcement, businesses, and loss prevention specialists, making it easier for agencies across jurisdictions to share information, build cases, and stop crime.
ILORCA will be headed by Anne Sagins, who will serve as Executive Director. Sagins brings a wealth of experience to the role, having dedicated 30 years to public service with the Illinois Senate Republicans Caucus. Joining the caucus in 1990, Sagins worked under four Senate Republican leaders, gaining expertise in legislative operations and fiscal management before retiring as Personnel and Fiscal Manager in 2020.
Organized retail crime involves complex and sometimes violent thefts by criminal groups with the goal of reselling stolen items to fund illicit activities including illegal firearm purchases, human trafficking, and even terrorism. These crimes risk the safety of employees and customers, rob the state and local governments of sales tax dollars that help fund government services we all rely upon, and pose a critical threat to retailers of all sizes and types.
It’s estimated Illinois retailers lose more than $2 billion in goods to retail theft every year. This impacts everything from the ability to hire new employees to expanding and maintaining business operations. Retail theft is increasingly a significant factor in whether a store stays open for business at all, particularly as local and state regulations increasingly drive-up operating costs.
“Organized retail crime is a growing threat that requires a unified response,” said Anne Sagins, Executive Director of the Illinois Organized Retail Crime Association. “Not only are these criminal groups devastating businesses and local economies, but they’re also threatening the safety of employees and customers while putting our communities at risk of further crime. By fostering stronger partnerships and enabling real-time intelligence sharing, we are taking a significant step toward reducing these crimes across Illinois.”
Funded through a grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, ILORCA administers and oversees Auror—a free platform for retailers, law enforcement agencies, loss prevention specialists, and other stakeholders to share intelligence about the criminal enterprises behind these violent thefts. The platform converts reported incidents into detailed timelines, linking crimes through maps, videos, and other shared evidence, making it easier to spot trends and share data across multiple jurisdictions. Auror also facilitates collaboration with other organized retail crime associations across the nation, helping to build prosecutable cases across state lines.
ILORCA was established as part of the Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers (INFORM Consumers) Act, one of the most comprehensive efforts in the nation to combat organized retail theft.
Signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker in 2022, the INFORM Consumers Act was developed by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul in collaboration with the Illinois Retail Merchants Association to address organized retail crime from multiple angles. The legislation specifically targets individuals who organize these crimes, including those who recruit, manage, or direct others in committing thefts such as smash-and-grab robberies and attacks on supply chain vehicles.
“Organized retail crimes are committed by sophisticated criminal operations that harm our communities in ways that extend beyond stolen merchandise. Disrupting those operations requires public and private sector collaborations across jurisdictions, sharing information and best practices. That is why I created the state’s first Organized Retail Crime Task Force, bringing together retailers and local, state and federal law enforcement, as well as input from other attorneys general,” said Attorney General Kwame Raoul. “The groups behind organized retail crimes are involved in drug and gun trafficking and other crimes that compromise public safety. The Retail Merchants Association has been a crucial partner from day one, and ILORCA and Auror are important resources that will enhance retail and law enforcement efforts to identify and stop these dangerous operations.”
More information about ILORCA and Auror can be found on www.ILORCA.org.
About the Illinois Organized Retail Crime Association
The Illinois Organized Retail Crime Association (ILORCA) was established as part of the Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers (INFORM Consumers) Act, one of the most comprehensive efforts in the nation to combat organized retail theft. Organized retail crime targets all types of businesses through complex, coordinated efforts by criminal groups with the goal of reselling stolen items to fund illicit activities. Funded through a grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, ILORCA administers and oversees a statewide intelligence-sharing platform for improved coordination between retailers, law enforcement agencies, loss prevention specialists, and other stakeholders to combat these criminal enterprises. More information can be found here.