PROGRAMMING KNOW, WE WILL HAVE PEDRO MARTINEZ ON THE PHONE TO TALK ABOUT THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR.

>>> RETAIL THEFT IS ON THE RISE.

U.S. CHAMBER OF CONGRESS ESTIMATES THAT THEFT COST AMERICAN RETAILERS NEARLY $100 BILLION LAST YEAR IN ILLINOIS .

THEY ESTIMATE MORE THAN $2 BILLION WORTH OF GOODS WERE STOLEN IN 2021.

BUT IT SAYS THE COST TO BUSINESSES WAS MORE THAN DOUBLE THAT.

AT MORE THAN $4 BILLION WHEN FACTORS WERE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.

JOINING US NOW TO GIVE US THEIR TAKE ON THIS ISSUE AND WHAT IS BEING DONE TO ADDRESS IT ARE ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL KWAME RAOUL, ROB CARR, SOLENOID -- CEO AND SCOTT GLENN, VICE PRESIDENT OF -- HOME DEPOT, THANKS TO YOU ALL FOR JOINING US.

LET'S START WITH YOU PLEASE.

PLEASE GIVE US A SENSE OF SCALE OF THE PROBLEM.

AT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S AFFECTING BOTH SMALL AND LARGE BUSINESSES?

>> THE ANSWER IS A DEFECTIVE YES.

WE'VE SEEN EVERYONE IMPACTED THE LIKES OF HOME DEPOT, WHOSE WITH US TONIGHT, TO A CONSIGNMENT SHOP, TO A SHOE STORE IN INGLEWOOD.

IT AFFECTS EVERYONE .

ALL TYPES OF MERCHANDISE.

>> IS IT YOUR SENSE THAT -- ARE THEY ESPECIALLY BAD IN CHICAGO , OR IS IT SOMETHING NATIONWIDE?

>> IT IS NATIONWIDE.

THERE'S SOME CERTAIN COMMONALITIES OR IN CERTAIN AREAS BUT CHICAGO IS CLEARLY ONE OF THE EPICENTERS.

>> ATTORNEY GENERAL , IS THIS A LARGE-SCALE ORGANIZED THAT THAT WE ARE SEEING?

WHO'S DOING THIS?

>> IT VARIES.

YOU HAVE ORDINARY RETAIL THEFT.

YOU HAVE WELL ORGANIZED CRIME RINGS AND SOME OF THE ACTORS MAY BE OUT OF OUR JURISDICTION.

THE PROCEEDS ORGANIZED RETAIL OFTEN FUND OTHER CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES .

GUN TRAFFICKING, HUMAN TRAFFICKING.

IN SOME CASES, EVEN TERRORISM.

>> RIGHT NOW WE ARE LOOKING AT A LIST OF RETAIL THEFT LOCATIONS IN CHICAGO.

THE TOP ONES.

SEVERAL WALMARTS.

STOP GLENN -- SCOTT GLENN, HOW DO YOU THINK THIS IS A DEAL FOR HOME DEPOT?

IS IT AN INCONVENIENCE OR SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO FACTOR INTO THE COST OF BUSINESS?

>> CERTAINLY A PART OF IT IS FACTORED INTO THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS.

THERE'S THE FINANCIAL IMPACT THAT HITS EVERY COMPANY.

THIS KIND OF ACTIVITY , BUT THERE IS ALSO A SAFETY CONCERN WE HAVE.

THE CRIMINALS BECOMING MUCH MORE BRAZEN AND MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE IN THEIR TACTICS TO GET THE PRODUCT OUT OF THE STORES.

SO NOT ONLY DO WE WORRY ABOUT THE FINANCIALS, BUT WE WORRY ABOUT THE SAFETY IMPACT ON CUSTOMERS AND ASSOCIATES, AS WELL.

>> I WANT TO COME BACK WITH SOME OF THAT SINK THE IMPACT THAT YOU MENTIONED.

ATTORNEY GENERAL, WHAT ARE THE ELECTED -- WERE THEY DOING WITH THESE GOODS ONCE THEY'VE STOLEN THEM?

IT WOULD BE FAIRLY EASY TO MOVE THEM AROUND AND SELL THEM.

>> FREQUENTLY THE PEOPLE CARRYING OUT THE ACTS ARE NOT THE HEADS OF THE ENTERPRISE.

THEY ARE, FOR INSTANCE, WE HAVE CRACKED DOWN ON TWO SCHEMES THAT USE DRUG ADDICTS AND WE PAID THEM WITH -- SOME INSTANCES, DRUGS TO STEAL THE ITEMS AND THEN THEY WERE RESOLD ON FACEBOOK, WE GOT ONE THAT WAS SELLING ON FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE.

ANOTHER GROUP THAT WAS -- IN PAWNSHOPS.

ONE OF THE GROUPS HAD A FORMER POLICE CHIEF AS PART OF THE CRIMINAL RING.

>> YOU MENTION SOMETIMES OUTSIDE YOUR JURISDICTION.

ARE THESE BEING SOLD OUT OF THE REGION, FOR EXAMPLE?

ARE THEY BEING SHIPPED OUT?

>> THE EASIEST PLATFORM FOR THEM TO SELL IS ON ONLINE MARKETPLACES.

AMAZON, FACEBOOK.

eBAY.

SO ONE OF THE -- THEY ORGANIZE A TASK FORCE WE CALL IN THE VARIOUS PLATFORMS AND WE'VE BEEN TRYING, THE BEST POSSIBLE COLLABORATION ON THOSE PLATFORMS, SOME MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN OTHERS TO GET THEM FOCUSED ON CRACKING DOWN AGAINST CRIMINAL ACTIVITY THAT FOCUSES ON RETAIL, ESTABLISHMENTS.

BIG BOXES LIKE HOME DEPOT OR WALGREENS OR SMALL MOM-AND-POP RETAIL -- THEY HAD ALL OF THESE BRICK-AND-MORTAR RETAIL .

AND THEY RESELL IT ONLINE.

>> SCOTT GLENN, YOU MENTION STAFF SAFETY AND HOW THAT WORKS FOR YOU ALL.

HOW DO YOU ADVISE YOUR STAFF TO HANDLE IT?

>> WE DO A COUPLE OF THINGS.

FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE TEACH ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES HOW TO DE-ESCALATE AN INTENSE SITUATION IN THE STORE, WHETHER IT'S CRIMINAL ACTIVITY OR SOME OTHER TYPE OF CONFLICT IN THE STORE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHAT WE DO IS WE ASK OUR ASSOCIATES TO REPORT WHAT THEY SEE TO COLLECT AS MUCH DETAIL AS THEY CAN AND THEN BRING THAT INFORMATION BACK TO US AND OUR ORGANIZED RETAIL CRIME TEAM SO THAT WE CAN COORDINATE THE ACTIVITY AND LINK THESE CASES TOGETHER ON THE BACKSIDE OF IT.

WE ABSOLUTELY DO NOT WANT OUR ASSOCIATES IN ANY WAY TO GET INVOLVED IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES IN STORES.

>> SCOTT, YOU KNOW, HOW HAS HOME DEPOT GONE ABOUT TACKLING THIS ISSUE?

I'VE HEARD THAT YOU HAVE USED SOME HIGH-TECH APPROACHES.

I'M SURE YOU ARE LIMITED TO WHAT YOU WANT TO GIVE AWAY HERE, BUT HOW ARE YOU HANDLING IT?

>> SURE.

THANKS FOR THE QUESTION.

I WOULD SAY WE HAVE DONE EVERYTHING FROM -- CAN DO TO SOME OF THE HIGHEST TEXT AVAILABLE.

THERE'S A SPECTRUM OF EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN AND EVERYTHING'S ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW.

WE PUT THINGS BEHIND BARRIERS.

WE'VE ACTUALLY LOCKED PRODUCTS UP AND IT WAS REALLY KIND OF UNTHINKABLE FIVE YEARS AGO, I WOULD SAY.

BUT THEN AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF NEW TECHNOLOGY COMING OUT.

A.I., MACHINE LEARNING, REALLY ENHANCE CAMERA SYSTEMS.

ALL THOSE KIND OF DIFFERENT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE TO US AND YOU ARE TESTING AND LEARNING AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WORKS BEST.

>> ATTORNEY GENERAL , YOU ALL IN 2021, YOU CREATED A TASK FORCE TO TACKLE ORGANIZED RETAIL THEFT.

IS IT HAVING AN IMPACT?

>> I THINK IT IS.

WE COLLABORATED AND WITH HOME DEPOT , SINCE WE WORKED WITH LOSS PREVENTION SPECIALIST AT HOME DEPOT TO TRACK A MAN WHO WE'VE ALSO WENT TO LEGISLATURE .

WE'VE GOT A GRANT TO BE ABLE TO FUND THE LAW ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENTS EFFORTS FOCUSING ON ORGANIZED RETAIL.

WHERE THEY HAVE RECOVERED OVER $1.2 MILLION AND THE STOLEN MERCHANDISE AND IT'S GOTTEN OCCUPANCY, WE'VE ALSO FUNDED THE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE THAT'S BEEN HELPING DOWNTOWN AND RIVER NORTH.

100 ARRESTS IN THREE MONTHS.

>> ACCORDING TO CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT ARREST DATA, AS YOU EXPECT, ARREST PLUMMETED WITH THE ONSET OF THE PANDEMIC AS MANY WORK FORCE TO CLOSE BUT ARREST LEVELS HAVE NOT QUITE RETURN TO THOSE PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS.

YOU SEE THE DROP OFF HERE IN THE GRAPH.

IS THIS A SIGN THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT IS NOT TAKING THE ISSUE SERIOUSLY ENOUGH OR DO YOU THINK THERE IS MORE THEY COULD BE DOING TO TACKLE THIS?

>> IT'S A COUPLE OF THINGS.

FIRST WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE A GREAT PARTNER.

A NATIONAL LEADER, NOT JUST IN THE CITY, BUT ON THE STATE.

SECOND, COLLABORATING AND PASSING THE LAW, BUT THE PIECES ARE STILL COMING TOGETHER.

WATCHING TO D.C.

COPIED THE IMPORTANT ACTS WE PASSED HERE.

THEY ARE STILL PUTTING THEM IN PLACE.

THERE ARE PIECES STILL COMING TOGETHER.

THERE IS ATTENTION PARTICULARLY IN CHICAGO WHERE YOU CAN'T NECESSARILY BLAME RANKIN FILE -- IF THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE PROSECUTED.

IT HAS TO BE OVERCOME HERE AND IT'S A COLLABORATION THAT MIGHT WORK , AS WELL, IN ADDITION TO THE LAW THAT WILL PASS WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.

SOME ADDITIONAL POWERS AS WELL AS ESTATE ATTORNEYS.

AGAIN, THAT ALL COMES ONLINE.

>> WE DID MENTION.

WE SHOULD MENTION THAT WE DID INVITE THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE COOK COUNTY -- THEY COULD NOT JOIN US.

>> THEY BEEN CRITICIZED FOR RAISING THE BAR FOR FELONY CONVICTIONS TO $1000 FROM $5000 FOR SHOPLIFTING.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT AND WHAT -- >> EVERYWHERE THIS IS BEEN A PROBLEM.

INDISPUTABLE FACT.

THE VALUE OF THE GOODS HAS BEEN INCREASED.

WE DON'T LIKE TO THINK THEY ARE, BUT THEY DO.

THEY ARE SMART ENOUGH TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO WORK AROUND IT.

THE THRESHOLD IS AND HOW TO GAIN THAT THRESHOLD AND WE SEEN STATISTICS, REPUTABLE STATISTICS AS WELL.

WE ARE ALSO NOT CAUGHT UNTIL THE 10th, 11, 12 TIME THAT THEY HAVE ACTUALLY STOLEN SOMETHING.

THEY ARE GETTING RID OF AN AWFUL LOT BEFORE WE EVEN THOUGHT.

INCREASING THAT THRESHOLD HAS A DEMONSTRABLE IMPACT IN TERMS OF ENCOURAGING.

>> IS THERE ANYTHING MORE YOU THINK LAW ENFORCEMENT CAN DO?

>> I THINK WHAT I WOULD WANT TO SAY IS IN THE ACT THAT WE PASS, DISTINGUISH ORDINARY RETAIL THEFT, WE GO AFTER THE CONCERTED CRIMINAL ACTIVITY THAT YOU SEE 20 PEOPLE GO IN TO THE STORE AT THE SAME TIME SO WHILE YOU MAY HAVE ONLY STOLEN ONE THING UNDER THE THRESHOLD, YOU COULD BE CHARGED