Section 177.04
(A) The organized retail theft advisory council is created within the office of the attorney general. The council consists of the following members:
(1) The attorney general or the attorney general's designee;
(2) An employee of the office of the attorney general appointed by the attorney general;
(3) The president or chief executive officer of the Ohio council of retail merchants, or the president's or chief executive officer's designee;
(4) Two loss prevention representatives from retail businesses with more than two hundred fifty employees and two loss prevention representatives from retail businesses with less than two hundred fifty employees;
(5) A member of the Ohio prosecuting attorneys association, or a member of the Ohio prosecuting attorneys association's designee;
(6) A member of the Ohio grocers association, or a member of the Ohio grocers association's designee.
(B) The attorney general shall appoint loss prevention representatives to the council after consulting with statewide trade and professional organizations that represent the interests of retail businesses and loss prevention. The organizations may nominate persons to be considered for appointment as council members.
(C)(1) The council shall advise the organized crime investigations commission on organized retail theft and recommend actions for the commission to detect, deter, prevent, and prosecute organized retail theft. The council shall meet at least quarterly, and the attorney general or the attorney general's designee shall serve as chairperson.
(2) The employee of the office of the attorney general appointed to the council shall serve as liaison to the organized retail theft task force established in section 177.02 of the Revised Code.
(D) In addition to other duties described in this section, the council may engage in the following activities:
(1) Compiling and disseminating to retail businesses and law enforcement agencies innovative methods of detecting, deterring, preventing, and prosecuting organized retail theft;
(2) Conducting training conferences to educate retail businesses and law enforcement agencies regarding current and emerging crime trends;
(3) Consulting with national, state, and local law enforcement agencies and retail associations concerning organized retail theft;
(4) Educating the public on the problems associated with organized retail theft.
(E) Members of the council shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred in performing their official duties. The organized crime investigations commission may provide the council with technical and clerical employees as necessary to accomplish its responsibilities under this section.
(F) The council shall share information and intelligence on organized retail theft, compliant with applicable data privacy laws, between retail businesses and law enforcement agencies to enhance the identification of offenders and the targeting of criminal enterprises.
Last updated January 21, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Available Versions of this Section
- April 9, 2025 – Enacted by House Bill 366 - 135th General Assembly [ View April 9, 2025 Version ]