State develops new task force to combat uptick in retail theft, crime impacting businesses

A new task force has been developed by the state to target an uptick in retail theft and violent crime impacting businesses.

The Ohio Chamber of Commerce announced Wednesday they have developed a crime task force that includes representatives from the retail community as well as state and county law enforcement officials, according to a media release.

>> 4 arrested, over $1,300 in stolen merchandise recovered in Springfield

The task force was formed after a study conducted in October 2022 by the Ohio Chamber showed that 62 percent of businesses said that rising crime is keeping them from expanding.

In their first meeting, the committee discussed including cross-jurisdiction prosecution, aggregation of multiple thefts and organized crime laws.

The committee said they will continue to meet over the coming months.