Gig Harbor Business Crime Prevention Summit

The Gig Harbor Business Crime Prevention Summit will be presented on May 16th at the Gig Harbor City Hall Council Chambers.

The reason for this summit is that Washington State experienced over $2.7 billion in retail theft in 2021, the second highest in the nation per capita, according to the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA). ORC incidents were on the rise prior to 2020, but the pandemic seemed to exacerbate the trend.

While businesses had to pivot and restructure how they provided goods and services to the public, resourceful criminals exploited security gaps. They stole retail merchandise in bulk before quickly selling it online and on street corners. Organized retail criminals took advantage of perfect chaos, leaving disastrous results in their wake.

Attendees will learn to recognize the signs that their business is being surveilled for a potential retail crime. Implement best practices to discourage would-be thieves from targeting their business. Make their retail establishments safe for their customers and employees. As well as what to do in the aftermath of a retail crime event.