Those accused of working together to steal from retailers in Rhode Island could face felony charges under legislation under consideration in the state Senate.
The bill sponsored by Sen. Leonidas Raptakis, a Coventry Democrat, would impose up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000 if two or more people are found guilty — the same punishment given to a repeat offender who has taken over $100 worth of merchandise. The bill would take effect upon its passage.
This is the second straight year Raptakis has filed a proposal to crack down on retail crime. Opponents argue it would disproportionately impact low-income youth. But Raptakis told the Senate Judiciary Committee that shoplifting will only continue to grow if it’s treated as a petty crime.
Under existing law, first-time offenders are charged with a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison and a fine of at least $50 — or two times the full retail value of the merchandise that was reportedly stolen, whichever is greater.
“You see them all the time — individuals run into a store and steal probably tens of thousands of dollars in a matter of minutes,” Raptakis said. “Hopefully we can do something to toughen our statutes to send a strong message against organized shoplifting.”
Should the General Assembly move forward on the bill, Rhode Island would join a growing number of states, including Vermont, that have tried to crack down on rising retail theft. Major retailers have also taken measures to curb shoplifting, often by locking up merchandise.
“Even Mucinex, a cough syrup, is locked up,” Raptakis said.
Stricter penalties cannot come soon enough for Nick Fede Jr., director of the Rhode Island Liquor Operators Collaborative. He told the committee that package stores are frequent targets for shoplifters, leading to fewer expensive beverages on display.
“There’s a romance to what we do,” he said. “People want to pick the bottle up, they want to feel it.”
While store owners are used to petty theft, Fede told lawmakers that groups of shoplifters only target items with high resale value.
“This is not unique to any specific geographic area of our state,” Fede said. “It’s happening everywhere.”
It’s especially been true for Providence and Warwick, both of which are home to malls. Providence Police reported 365 reported shoplifting offenses in 2024, representing a 52% increase from the year prior.
A 2023 report from the Warwick Police Department, the most recent available, notes 388 cases of shoplifting — representing an 8% increase from the prior year.
“Organized retail theft is a true concern of ours and exists at a pretty steady rate,” Warwick Police Chief Bradford Connor said in an email to Rhode Island Current.
But the bill has sparked serious warnings from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Rhode Island and the state’s Office of the Public Defender.
ACLU Executive Director Steven Brown called Raptakis’ bill “a rather draconian penalty.”
“Shoplifting some item from a local store shouldn’t lead to such an excessive, such an incredibly harsh, prison sentence,” he said in an interview.
Megan F. Jackson, legislative liaison for the public defender’s office, wrote to the committee that the bill takes “an overtly harsh approach” and that the language is unclear on how such a law would actually be applied.
“The law would undoubtedly have a disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities already overrepresented in the criminal justice system, especially given that shoplifting is often driven by poverty,” Jackson wrote. “At best, it is counterproductive; at worst, it could be unconstitutional.”
Raptakis’ bill was held by committee for further study, as is common practice when legislation is first considered. Companion legislation has not been filed in the House.
This story was originally published by the Rhode Island Current.
