Is retail theft really rising?

Sep 11, 2023
Retailers want stiffer sentences for what they say is rising theft. But the data isn't clear, says Nicole Lewis of The Marshall Project.
Retailers are locking up some items on shelves to prevent theft.
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

Thefts of catalytic converters keep surging. That's costing drivers and insurers.

Jun 2, 2023
As trace metals become more valuable, thefts keep climbing, causing headaches for drivers, mechanics and insurance companies.
A car mechanic installs a catalytic converter to control pollutants. Thefts mushroomed  between 2018 and 2022, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Retailers vexed by rising "shrink"

Sep 19, 2022
The National Retail Federation says theft, fraud and poor inventory management led to $95 billion in losses last year.
Cabinets built to shield against theft in a Walgreens store. Several large retailers have closed outlets or reduced hours to combat the problem.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

As precious metals prices soar, so do catalytic converter thefts

Mar 22, 2021
There's something more valuable than gold attached to the bottom of your car — and it's sparking a crime wave across the country.
A mechanic works on replacing a truck's catalytic converter, an environmental device that contains costly elements.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Spruce top thieves illegally cutting a northwoods cash crop

Dec 23, 2020
So far this season conservation officers have seized well over 15,000 spruce tops illegally harvested in Minnesota.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officer Shane Zavodnik examines an illegally cut spruce tree while standing in a frozen swamp on Nov. 23, 2020, on private property near Eveleth, Minnesota.
Derek Montgomery/MPR News

Is a rise in store theft at Home Depot really linked to the opioid crisis?

Dec 13, 2019
Some are skeptical the chain retailer's "shrink" is due to opioid addiction.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Police say pickpocketing is on the rise in Paris

Jun 28, 2019
City of Light ... fingers?
French police officers detain a man suspected of pickpocketing in Paris during a 2015 crackdown on pickpockets and street scammers targeting mostly tourists.
MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

In Virginia, the theft of an iPhone can result in a felony charge for life

Mar 15, 2018
Virginia’s felony threshold for property theft is tied with New Jersey for the lowest in the nation at $200. There’s bipartisan support to raise it to $500 this year, but that’s still far below the threshold for most states.
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam recently struck a bipartisan deal to raise the state’s felony larceny threshold in exchange for restitution reform.
Courtesy of Craig Carper/WCVE News

Theft of oil and gas from Mexican pipelines an increasing concern

Oct 26, 2017
The loss of oil and gas from Mexican pipelines currently totals more than $1 billion a year, leaving some U.S. companies skittish about entering the market.
Refinery workers in Veracruz finish their shift. Mexican gov't statistics indicate mounting theft from pipelines that ferry refined gasoline from here to Mexico City. 
Lorne Matalon/ for Marketplace

Bitcoin's unhackable. Bitcoin banks? Not so.

Aug 3, 2016
Theft of tens of millions of dollars worth of bitcoin leaves it with a black eye.
 sticker on the window of a local pub indicates the acceptance of Bitcoins for payment.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images