WASHINGTON — More than three-fourths of retailers said their company has been a victim of organized retail crime within the past year, according to the third annual Organized Retail Crime survey released by the National Retail Federation here. The survey also found that 71% of retailers say they have noticed an increase in organized retail crime activity in the past 12 months, up from 48% in 2006. The survey results include responses from 99 retailers representing drug, supermarket, general merchandise, home improvement, apparel, department and specialty stores. “Despite retailers’ best efforts, organized retail crime continues to proliferate in stores around the country,” said NRF Vice President of Loss Prevention Joseph LaRocca, in a statement. In April, NRF announced the creation of the Law Enforcement Retail Partnership Network (LERPnet), a secure Web-based database designed to help retailers and law enforcement fight back against illegal activity in stores and online.

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