Colorado AG Weiser forms task force to combat organized retail theft

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser on Wednesday announced the formation of a new statewide task force targeting organized retail theft and the reselling of stolen goods online.

Law enforcement officials from across the state will convene to develop a shared set of resources for cross-jurisdictional investigations aimed at preventing the sale of stolen goods through online marketplaces.

The task force’s formation comes as a new state law goes into effect that aims to reduce the anonymous online sale of stolen goods, according to a news release from the attorney general’s office.

House Bill 22-1099 was passed with nearly unanimous bipartisan support in the General Assembly, and signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis in March.

Starting Jan. 1, 2023, the law requires companies that operate online marketplace platforms to identify online sellers, verify their information and provide seller disclosures to consumers. They must also include an easily identifiable reporting mechanism giving consumers a tool to flag and report suspicious activity.

“Organized retail theft harms business, employees, and customers,” Weiser said in a news release. “Last legislative session, I partnered with the business community and retail leaders to pass legislation to clamp down on these criminal enterprises. I’m thankful to the bill sponsors, to our industry partners, and to law enforcement for their partnership and for the work ahead to curb this criminal activity.”