Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez recently announced formation of a first-of-its-kind task force to investigate and prosecute the crime of organized retail theft and fencing, a growing consumer problem that drives up costs for everyone.   

The Regional Organized Crime Task Force includes representatives from law enforcement and the retail industry from throughout the Cook County region. With formation of the task force, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office becomes the first prosecutor's office in the nation to join together with law enforcement and retailers to develop a unified and proactive plan to tackle this type of crime. According to published reports, Illinois loses an estimate $77 million in tax revenues each year as a result of organized retail theft and fencing.