Maryland Retailers Association calls for tighter organized retail theft laws

MARYLAND – The Maryland Retailers Association is renewing a push for penalties for retail theft to carry across state lines, to help combat retail theft.

Currently, in Maryland, thieves can take up to 1,500 dollars before it’s a felony, and when they go to a new state, that number resets back to zero.

“There is a lot of misdemeanor theft that is not taken seriously, Folks will end up with a p j probation before a judgment set, something like that, when in reality they’re actually committing felony theft across the state,” said MRA Director Cailey Locklair.

She tells us a bill brought by State Senator Ron Watson passed both houses but failed to move forward on the last day of the session, and would have added reciprocity between that felony theft cap between Maryland’s neighboring states.

She tells us without the legislation Maryland remains a prime target, due to its proximity to the ports, and the Eastern Shore with its proximity to Delaware and Virginia.

“It’s very easy to say jump off of Route 50 and go ahead and steal and hop back on and then take those goods up into Delaware, down to Virginia, up to New York, it’s really easy to move goods,” she said.

Vernon Powell Owner Joe Wright tells WMDT that’s a measure he’d like to see implemented, as they have seen their fair share of retail thefts at their Annapolis and Rehoboth locations, raising their insurance premiums across the board for all locations.

But he tells us for businesses in a retail space, a break-in is not necessary for your rates to rise, as insurance carriers are catching up with the rising trend of retail thefts, and are adjusting their rents.

“Even if I don’t see more claims, other retailers are driving my insurance cost up because in general, if you’re going to reach an insurer in a retail business, it’s going to cost those insurance companies more money,” Wright said.

He says in the meantime they have been more strategic with staff training, and what items are left out for customers to pick up, behind a glass, or not stocked at all.

“if you have to pack up jewelry at the end of the night and put it in a safe, that takes time. And it costs us money and manpower and it affects the bottom line,” Wright said.

Locklair tells WMDT that in the session off-season, they will be rallying the support of lawmakers to get the bill passed next legislative session.