A new Franklin County-led task force has already recovered more than $145,000 in stolen retail merchandise and secured nine indictments since launching in March, targeting the organized theft rings that officials say cost Ohio businesses up to $3 billion a year.
The F.O.R.C.E. (Fraud & Organized Retail Crime Engagement) task force, announced Aug. 5, brings together seven law enforcement agencies, two prosecutors' offices and federal partners to pursue theft networks operating across county and state lines. The Franklin County Sheriff's Office, which provides law enforcement services to unincorporated areas around New Albany and Gahanna, leads the effort.
Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin told NBC4 that no single agency can tackle the problem alone, but pooling resources and collaborating creates the effect of one large force working to hold offenders accountable.
The task force operates under the Ohio Attorney General's Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission and fulfills House Bill 366, the FORCE Act, which Governor Mike DeWine signed Jan. 8, 2025. That law made retail property theft of $7,500 or more a third-degree felony and allows prosecutors to aggregate a single offender's thefts across jurisdictions over a 12-month period into a higher charge.
Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Shayla Favor said her Economic Crimes Unit is partnering with the task force to confront organized rings at malls and commercial centers across the county. Favor said these cases are not isolated shoplifting incidents but organized operations that drive up costs for businesses and put workers at risk.
"We don't want the jurisdictional boundaries to be the reason why someone is not being held accountable," Favor said.
Local context
Both New Albany and Gahanna fall within F.O.R.C.E.'s coverage area. New Albany Police Department data from March 2025, more than a year before the task force announcement, showed shoplifting offenses doubling year over year, from three incidents to six, while theft from motor vehicles tripled from two to six in the same month. Those figures predate the task force's launch but illustrate the upward trend officials cite.
The results speak for themselves. Since March, the task force has coordinated with agencies in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana and Pennsylvania.
Partner agencies include the Delaware County Sheriff's Office, Clinton Township Police Department, Grandview Heights Division of Police, Westerville Police Department, Homeland Security and the Columbus Division of Police, the newest member.
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said the task force was established through his office's commission to "dismantle these criminal networks and hold thieves accountable," according to the sheriff's office announcement.
The Ohio Council of Retail Merchants estimates organized retail theft costs Ohio businesses $2 billion to $3 billion annually, with consumers absorbing higher prices as a result.
No next public update or expansion timeline has been announced. Residents can report suspicious activity to the Franklin County Sheriff's Office non-emergency line at 614-525-3333.
