CARY POLICE DEPARTMENT, LOCAL RETAILERS COME TOGETHER TO COMBAT ORGANIZED RETAIL CRIME

CARY, NC – To help local business owners deter retail-related crimes, the Town of Cary Police Department is hosting an information exchange program on Wednesday, February 4, 2009, at the Cary Police Department, 120 Wilkinson Ave, at 10:30 a.m.  As part of the meeting, Cary police and Crime Stoppers of Cary, Inc., will exchange information with loss prevention personnel and managers of retail establishments about organized retail crime; the meeting is one of the monthly meetings of Cary Retailers United Information Security Exchange (C.R.U.I.S.E).

Organized retail crime refers to groups, gangs, and sometimes individuals who are engaged in illegally obtaining retail merchandise through both theft and fraud in substantial quantities as part of a commercial enterprise.   These crime rings generally consist of boosters who methodically steal merchandise from retail stores and fence operators who convert the product to cash or drugs, as part of the criminal enterprise.  In many instances, these groups target several retailers in one day, and the merchandise is then moved and sold through fencing operations such as flea markets, pawn shops, Internet sites and swap meets. These groups often steal thousands of dollars of merchandise at a time with the intent to resell it for profit.

“With many businesses having been impacted by the weakened economy and given theft and fraud can exacerbate the problem, the C.R.U.I.S.E. meeting is a good opportunity for us to talk with loss prevention professionals and business owners, hear their concerns and provide a forum to exchange information,” said Sergeant Randy Byrd.  “Organized retail crime not only hurts business owners, but it can also have an impact on consumers through higher prices.”

The C.R.U.I.S.E. partnership was developed by the Cary Police Department and a loss prevention associate in the mid 1990s to develop a network of information and intelligence sharing between businesses and law enforcement about criminal activity and offenders involving retail crime.  The monthly meetings also serve as a training component for retailers.  

The meeting is by invitation only.  Business owners and loss prevention professionals interested in participating should call (919) 380-2133.

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DIRECTIONS TO THE CARY POLICE DEPARTMENT:  From I-40, take exit 290 onto N.C. 54/Chapel Hill Road. Turn left and continue west for two miles on Chapel Hill Road until you reach North Academy Street . Do not take N.C. 54 when it turns right. Stay on Chapel Hill Road until it intersects with North Academy Street . Turn left onto Academy Street and turn left again onto Wilkinson Avenue .  The Police Department will be located on the right at the intersection of Wikinson Avenue and Ambassador Loop.  Please enter through the front entrance located near the courtyard.