HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and Attorney General William Tong have announced the formation of a task force charged with combating the growing problem of organized robberies at brick-and-mortar retailers.
The national issue involves smash-and-grab thefts in which large quantities of relatively inexpensive goods are stolen and then resold online.
The attorney general said Wednesday it's far more than run-of-the-mill shoplifting. Tong said the thefts involve high-level criminal bosses sending crews out to rob the stores.
Those kinds of thefts can cost businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars and many saw an uptick during the pandemic, according to the National Retail Federation.
"What we need to do is cut off the demand and to stop the flow of these goods through the major online and social media platforms, and that's one of the most important things we're calling on the major online platforms to do today," AG Tong added.
The Connecticut task force will include, among others, Tong’s office, law enforcement, consumer protection officials and officials from large retailers such as CVS.
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