Sacramento has made the list of cities with the worst shoplifting problems.
The National Retail Federation ranks California’s capital city seventh in the nation for metropolitan areas impacted by organized retail crime, tying with Chicago.
Los Angeles tops the list followed by San Francisco. It comes ahead of “Fight Retail Crime Day” this Thursday, which is a day dedicated to raising awareness about the crime trend and promoting solutions.
The National Retail Federation says organized retail theft is costing companies tens of billions of dollars a year, with the average American family paying $500 more on purchases as a result.
Some businesses have even decided to close stores, such as Target, which recently announced the closing of eight West Coast locations due to retail crime.
The federation looked at nearly 200 companies across 28 retail sectors, including department, apparel and jewelry stores, that felt an impact and consequently had to either close stores or reduce store hours.
It comes as California announced last month it's investing in solutions to combat organized retail theft. Law enforcement agencies across the state will receive a combined total of $267 million to increase security through more patrols, add investigative units and improve surveillance technology.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office is expected to receive $9.4 million to tackle retail theft locally. Some Sacramento business owners who have fallen victim to this crime say help cannot come fast enough.
“I would like the city to completely reevaluate the way that it addresses these crimes, the way that our city resources are being used to address them, to confront them," said business owner Josh Varner. “I would like there to be some accountability for what's going on, instead of simply wringing hands and saying, 'There is nothing we can do.'"
Some argue retail theft has worsened in California after the passage of Proposition 47, which made nonviolent theft of up to $950 in value misdemeanor crimes. Voters approved the measure in Nov. 2014.
Find more information on the National Retail Federation study HERE.
Watch more on ABC10: Retail theft ring busted after Bay Area pawn shop found with stolen items
