Brad Knott: “Mr. Speaker, I first would like to begin by commending my good friend and colleague from Ohio (Mr. Joyce), for the hard…”

“Mr. Speaker, I first would like to begin by commending my good friend and colleague from Ohio (Mr. Joyce), for the hard work that he has put into not only drafting but ushering this legislation to where we are today. The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, colloquially known as CORCA, was the biproduct of collaboration of Members on both sides of the aisle, law enforcement, industry leaders, shipping and transportation companies, and small business owners throughout this country. I was proud to be an original cosponsor of this effort. H.R. 2853 is an answer to the significant and persistent increase in organized retail crime that we have seen ballooning in recent years across the United States. Often misunderstood, organized retail crime is a broad category, including everything from theft offenses such as stealing items from convenience stores to cargo theft, gift card theft, and stolen or cloned credit cards. While this may seem isolated or even miniscule when looked at alone, this problem has been escalating across the country at a vast scale. While precise data on the losses to businesses from organized retail crime is hard to specify and difficult to quantify, it is estimated conservatively that up to $100 billion annually is the direct cost to businesses across the country. Organized crime is forcing businesses to close. It is endangering the public.”