Over the past four years there's been a huge increase in retail theft in the United States, but that's also about when a law enforcement trend allowing minimum or no punishment for "small," non-violent shoplifters became popular.

Such radical soft-on-crime policies have led to the closing of once-familiar retail chains, many of whom just couldn't absorb the costs of replacing hundreds of dollars in merchandise stolen several times a week.

During COVID, "everyone was home for the most part, and the criminal element was completely displaced," says retired Houston Police Department Captain Gregory Fremin, and as a result people were hurting and you had people going out there to steal at far greater rates.

"And you have to take into account these radical leftist policies where they were soft on criminals, where many of those caught shoplifting were not prosecuted.

"That sent a message to the criminal element that it [law enforcement] was condoning bad behavior, looting and stealing at high proportional rates.

"You see this with the smash-and-grabs, people were just coming in and stealing and no one was doing anything to stop them -- these are all factors that contribute to the severe increases in retail theft."

In its new “Impact of Retail Theft & Violence 2024” study, the National Retail Federation highlights the 93% rise in shoplifting and related theft despite retailers locking up some items in plastic displays and adding to security details, and despite attempts by a growing cadre of states toughening laws to prosecute retail crime, such as raising certain theft categories from misdemeanors to felonies.

One thing that has changed over the past few years is the network of recipients of stolen merchandise, the study says.

Now there are a number of organized retail crime groups that can and will receive and pay for such merchandise, then resell it for a profit.

The more lucrative retail theft rings and resulting display of casual shoplifting is resulting in growing alienation among consumers.

Captain Fremin says, "we see the effects already, they [consumers] are staying away from it because they don't want to be a part of it, and their position is, if the government is not going to protect these stores and hold these people accountable, are they going to protect me?

"And it sends a very chilling message to the vast majority of the population, Fremin said.

"With the new Trump administration coming in, I think law and order will be restored in this county. And it needs to be."

KTRH Local Houston and Texas News