RILA Pilot Project Addresses Habitual Theft, Violence, Other Unlawful Activity

The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) is looking to drill down on the root drivers of habitual theft, violence and other unlawful activity in and around retail establishments in an effort to tackle systemic social challenges. The project, dubbed the Vibrant Communities Initiative, is being undertaken through a partnership with the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) and will specifically address mental health, substance use, homelessness and other issues.

Retailers will collaborate with key stakeholders as part of the program, including district attorneys, police departments, social service organizations, local policymakers, civic and business groups, and others. The project will aim to enhance information sharing, prosecute habitual and violent offenders, propose second chance opportunities to reduce recidivism, and also explore technology solutions that prevent retail crime and deter violence against employees.

[Read more: "Front-Line Retail Workers Feel Unprepared to Address In-Store Theft, Violence"]

“The damaging effect of retail crime and violence goes well beyond economic harm to retailers — it impacts lives and livelihoods and threatens the vibrancy of entire communities,” said RILA Senior Executive VP Lisa LaBruno. “This isn’t a problem that manifested itself overnight, but there is no denying that the pandemic significantly exacerbated the problem.” 

Continued LaBruno: “The goal of this partnership is to go beyond identifying the problem; our plan is to embed a cross-functional group of private and public sector leaders in the community and test solutions that tackle the root causes of retail crime. We’ve made tremendous progress in just the last year since we announced our partnership with NDAA, and we are optimistic that expanding the scope of our partnership in this way can make a difference in every community across America.”

Solutions in select communities that are deemed successful will serve as models for implementation across the country.

“There is no easy solution to tackle theft and violence; we’re facing a complex, multi-faceted challenge and it’s going to take commitments from a diverse group of stakeholders to better understand the root causes in various communities and implement solutions that acknowledge and address those larger issues,” said NDAA Executive Director Nelson Bunn. “We aim to reduce crime and reduce recidivism, yes; but ultimately we want this work to be reflected in healthier, more vibrant communities in which everyone feels safe.”

The Vibrant Communities Initiative was announced at RILA’s annual Asset Protection Conference, being held April 30-May 3 in Denver.