Maricopa County prosecutors handle record number of organized retail crime cases in 2024

PHOENIX — The amount of organized retail theft cases the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office received almost doubled in 2024 compared to the year before.

The office recently announced it received 891 such cases in 2024. That’s a 45% increase from the 616 cases of organized retail theft the office received in 2023.

“In the last calendar year, 2024, we successfully prosecuted 300 organized retail crime cases,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Thursday.

Why organized retail theft cases in Maricopa County are rising

Mitchell clarified that the rise in case submissions doesn’t necessarily reflect an increase in crime.

“What it can mean is that there is increased cooperation [and] increased efforts by law enforcement,” Mitchell said. “Our emphasis on really holding these people accountable is working because we’re getting more cases in and we’re prosecuting more cases.”

She’s been an outspoken enemy of retail theft since she first took office in 2022. That year she created a task force devoted to fighting the issue. She later extended task force’s reach in 2023 through her “Safe Shopping” campaign.

Her office even has a webpage with various case details to showcase prosecutorial efforts.

Details about rise in organized retail theft cases in Maricopa County

Mitchell is passionate about the issue due to its widespread negative impacts. It shouldn’t be mistaken for shoplifting because it’s far more devastating, she added.

“We’re talking about people who are going in and taking, in many cases, either highly resaleable items in mass quantity or larger items that can be resold for a lot of money,” Mitchell said.

These crimes can steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from businesses. In some cases, the losses can count in the millions.

“This money goes, oftentimes, to fund other criminal behavior, such as drug smuggling, human smuggling, trafficking, et cetera,” Mitchell said. “We want to make sure that word gets out that all places are not the same, and Maricopa County is not the place you want to be to commit crimes like this.”

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Susan Monday contributed to this report.