New Retail, FBI Partnership Provides Retail Crime Data Law Enforcement
WASHINGTON -- A new partnership between retailers and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will provide hundreds of thousands of law enforcement officers around the country instant access to information on retail crime, the National Retail Federation (NRF) announced.
"This partnership between law enforcement and private industry provides for greater efficiency in intelligence gathering and dissemination, enabling increased arrests, prosecutions, and recoveries of stolen merchandise," David Johnson, section chief, Criminal Investigative Division at the FBI, said in a released statement.
Through the FBI's Law Enforcement Online network, federal and local law enforcement will be able to directly connect to the retail industry's Law Enforcement Retail Partnership Network, or LERPnet, a secure national database where retailers track and report retail crimes, the federation reported. The partnership will enable law enforcement agencies to gain central, immediate access to retail crimes ranging from counterfeiting and organized retail crime to armed robberies and smash-and-grab burglary incidents.
"Law enforcement agencies have always been a crucial ally in the fight against retail crime," Joe LaRocca, senior asset protection advisor for NRF, said in a released statement. "With direct access to the LERPnet system, millions of police officers will be better equipped to identify and track the most dangerous retail criminals, protecting both shoppers and retail employees."
"Intelligence goes hand-in-hand with partnerships," said Johnson. "One good piece of intelligence can be the breakthrough needed to make a vital connection or solve a case. By arming the retail industry with the infrastructure necessary to share such intelligence, it is our hope that they, along with their partners in law enforcement, are better able to thwart criminal efforts and reduce subsequent losses."
Retailers teamed with the FBI to launch LERPnet in 2007, and since its launch, over 118,000 incidents have been entered into the system. LERPnet's subscriber base represnts $814 billion in retail sales with a combined 51,000 stores participating in the program, the federation reported.
As the leader in retail loss prevention thought leadership and public policy initiatives, NRF's loss prevention team recently announced a partnership with the U.S. Immigrations Customs and Enforcement agency to monitor and track organized retail crime through its LERPnet system.
Training for law enforcement officers will commence the first week of April and special task forces to track crime in specific regions will continue to meet, according to NRF.
Related News:
Employee Gift Card Fraud Growing Sharply
"This partnership between law enforcement and private industry provides for greater efficiency in intelligence gathering and dissemination, enabling increased arrests, prosecutions, and recoveries of stolen merchandise," David Johnson, section chief, Criminal Investigative Division at the FBI, said in a released statement.
Through the FBI's Law Enforcement Online network, federal and local law enforcement will be able to directly connect to the retail industry's Law Enforcement Retail Partnership Network, or LERPnet, a secure national database where retailers track and report retail crimes, the federation reported. The partnership will enable law enforcement agencies to gain central, immediate access to retail crimes ranging from counterfeiting and organized retail crime to armed robberies and smash-and-grab burglary incidents.
"Law enforcement agencies have always been a crucial ally in the fight against retail crime," Joe LaRocca, senior asset protection advisor for NRF, said in a released statement. "With direct access to the LERPnet system, millions of police officers will be better equipped to identify and track the most dangerous retail criminals, protecting both shoppers and retail employees."
"Intelligence goes hand-in-hand with partnerships," said Johnson. "One good piece of intelligence can be the breakthrough needed to make a vital connection or solve a case. By arming the retail industry with the infrastructure necessary to share such intelligence, it is our hope that they, along with their partners in law enforcement, are better able to thwart criminal efforts and reduce subsequent losses."
Retailers teamed with the FBI to launch LERPnet in 2007, and since its launch, over 118,000 incidents have been entered into the system. LERPnet's subscriber base represnts $814 billion in retail sales with a combined 51,000 stores participating in the program, the federation reported.
As the leader in retail loss prevention thought leadership and public policy initiatives, NRF's loss prevention team recently announced a partnership with the U.S. Immigrations Customs and Enforcement agency to monitor and track organized retail crime through its LERPnet system.
Training for law enforcement officers will commence the first week of April and special task forces to track crime in specific regions will continue to meet, according to NRF.
Related News:
Employee Gift Card Fraud Growing Sharply