At the Chamber, it’s critical that we respond to the needs of our business community. That’s why we engaged with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office and Chamber members Target, Five Below, Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association, and others to address the retail theft issue in the city, which extends beyond these companies and impacts small businesses.

We’re proud to be leading the way with a coordinated enforcement model in response to retail theft that’s delivering real results—and gaining national recognition.

Thanks to the Chamber’s leadership and the unwavering commitment of our partners, Philadelphia has developed a robust, citywide response that is now being studied by other municipalities as a best-in-class framework. At the heart of this success is a powerful public-private collaboration involving the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD), the Delaware Valley Intelligence Center (DVIC), the District Attorney’s Office, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Organized Retail Crime Unit.

This coalition has implemented a strategic, data-driven approach that includes targeted enforcement, dedicated officers, real-time information sharing, and streamlined case packaging. These efforts have already led to a measurable 13% reduction in retail theft citywide since 2024. At a recent law enforcement conference, Philadelphia’s model was highlighted as a national example—proof that coordinated action works.

Through the Chamber’s leadership, we convened the Retail Theft & Organized Retail Crime Working Group, bringing together retailers, law enforcement, and policymakers in a trusted forum for collaboration. This effort has resulted in the creation and citywide expansion of the PPD Retail Theft Initiative, ensuring resources are directed to the corridors where theft was most concentrated. We also worked closely with the District Attorney’s Office, leading to stronger prosecution rates and more meaningful sentencing outcomes. Our advocacy before City Council helped secure a $1 million mid-year budget transfer to expand the District Attorney’s Retail Theft Task Force, adding capacity that is already showing results. On the state level, we successfully supported the passage of SB 596, which reduced felony thresholds for retail theft and provided clearer consequences for organized retail crime and established a new office under the Attorney General’s authority – the Organized Retail Crime Unit – giving Pennsylvania a statewide tool to connect local cases with larger investigations and dismantle fencing operations across jurisdictions.

Looking ahead, we’re advocating for the establishment of a dedicated retail theft courtroom to ensure consistent case handling and improved outcomes. We invite you to join our working group to help shape this effort.

Philadelphia is setting the standard—and with your continued partnership, we’ll keep building on this momentum. Let’s make sure the rest of the country knows what coordinated leadership can achieve.

If you’re interested in sharing your story or joining our advocacy efforts, please contact Ashley Miscevich.