Dallas, Houston rank in top 10 for organized retail crime

Damanick Dantes
Updated

According to an industry survey conducted by the National Retail Federation, Dallas and Houston are on the top 10 list for organized gang crime against retail stores and distribution centers. Some 80.6% of retailers reported that merchandise and gift cards were stolen by area gangs. Targeted items include baby formula, jeans, and over the counter medicines. The items are then resold in flea markets, directly to everyday consumers on the street, or online. The resale of stolen merchandise goes to funding gang operations, and are sometimes exchanged for drugs or capital to continue the operation to fuel the manpower involved in retail store raids.

Retail stores have partnered with local police to install surveillance cameras that expose the gang members that often return and are known in the area for stealing merchandise. The NRF is also helping retailers to combine forces with eBay to check for illegal sale of merchandise on their online sales platform.

Organized gangs have cost retailers as much as $30 billion in stolen merchandise.

Here are the top 10 cities in alphabetical order:

  • Baltimore/Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia

  • Chicago

  • Dallas

  • Houston

  • Los Angeles

  • Miami/Ft.Lauderdale

  • New York City/Northern New Jersey

  • Philadelphia

  • San Francisco

  • Tampa/Orlando

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