SMITHFIELD, NC – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Triangle East Chamber of Commerce recently hosted a roundtable discussion with Rep. Brad Knott (NC-13) in Smithfield, North Carolina, on the Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA) and how retail crime and cargo theft impact local businesses and communities.
"The U.S. Chamber is proud to support Rep. Knott and his work on the Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act. This bill will help provide the necessary resources to local, state, and federal law enforcement to combat retail crimes and the criminal syndicate rings that plague communities across the country,” said Brince Manning, Senior Manager of the Southeastern Regional Team at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
“Bringing local leaders and stakeholders together for a roundtable is about more than conversation, it’s about results for our communities,” said Congressman Knott. “Organized retail crime hurts all Americans. It drives up prices, puts businesses at risk, and costs our economy nearly $130 billion a year. What may look like isolated theft is often part of a larger criminal network, and we need to shut down the loopholes these bad actors exploit. I’m proud of the work the House has done to pass CORCA, because law enforcement, businesses, and local leaders need the tools to stop this crime before it spreads further.”
"Organized retail crime affects businesses of every size through increased costs, employee safety concerns, and disruptions to daily operations. We appreciate Congressman Knott taking the time to hear firsthand from Johnston County employers, because informed public policy begins with listening to the experiences of the businesses it serves,” said Kelly Wallace, President and CEO of the Triangle East Chamber of Commerce.
CORCA is a bipartisan bill that would help increase collaboration between jurisdictions to curb retail crime and cargo theft while strengthening the partnership between law enforcement and businesses to dismantle the criminal syndicate networks that carry out retail crime and cargo theft schemes. Rep. Knott has been a strong proponent of the legislation, which passed the House on May 16.
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