Organized crime and retail theft impede public safety and can cause destabilizing economic harm for businesses.
On her first day in office, State’s Attorney Burke announced a policy change directing prosecutors to pursue felony retail theft charges in accordance with state law, when the value of the goods exceeds $300, or when an offender already has a felony shoplifting conviction.
The CCSAO works with state and local law enforcement partners to share intelligence and resources when prosecuting organized retail crime. Such crime often involves sophisticated criminal networks that operate in multiple jurisdictions and profit by reselling stolen goods.
In 2010, CCSAO founded the Cook County Regional Organized Crime Task Force (CCROC), establishing a powerful tool that brings together public agencies and private companies to prevent organized crews from striking.
In May 2025, CCROC coordinated the first-ever national Organized Retail Crime (ORC) Blitz to proactively enforce the law and raise awareness about sophisticated criminal networks targeting businesses. The ORC Blitz resulted in approximately 500 arrests from participating agencies in more than a dozen states.