In recent years, retailers, prosecutors and police have pushed state and federal lawmakers to crack down on thieves who, they say, have become increasingly sophisticated and violent.
Even before Virginia lawmakers passed a tough new law against organized retail crime earlier this year, Bradley Haywood, a public defender in Arlington, Virginia, challenged the rationale. The idea that
At least 14 states have passed laws in the past two years to combat retail theft, but critics question the need for these laws and say the threat of organized shoplifting rings is overblown.
Nine states passed new laws this year, either toughening punishment or creating task forces to study the potential threats posed by organized theft rings