Sticky fingers: Colorado ranks seventh in U.S. for retail theft, study shows

Photo byKate TryshonUnsplash

A study by the self-storage company Storeganise ranks Colorado seventh in the U.S. for retail theft.

It should come as no surprise as a Walmart in Aurora announced earlier this month that it is closing due to retail theft. Other locations, such as Central Park in Denver, have locked up an extraordinary amount of their merchandise. Customers now must find clerks to unlock products from cases and put them in a locked box to be unlocked at checkout.

According to Storganize, Colorado had 1,702 incidents of theft per 100,000 people. By comparison Florida, which had the least amount of retail thefts, tallied 126 incidents per 100,000 people. According to a news release, Storeganise used FBI statistics and Crime Data Explorer to arrive at their conclusions. “To find the state with the highest commercial burglary rate, the study examined recent crime data on burglaries in various U.S. businesses. They counted burglaries in places like convenience stores, department stores, shopping malls, specialty stores, liquor stores, gas stations, and others.”

Investments in security

Miles Davison, a spokesperson from Storeganise, reported in a news release, “Businesses across the country are facing increasing challenges from burglaries. It's crucial to support business owners and ensure their safety, as well as the safety of their employees. In Florida, shoplifting incidents have reportedly dropped by 30% since 2019, which might be reflected on this study. This unexpected trend is a positive sign for businesses in the state, but it doesn't mean the state is entirely safe. Despite the decrease in shoplifting, other forms of property crime, such as burglaries and thefts, may still be on the rise. It's important for businesses to remain vigilant and implement effective security measures.”

Washington, New Mexico, and Nevada had the most thefts. Wyoming, New Hampshire, and New York finished 47^th, 48^th and 49^th, respectively.