Retail and Community Safety Enforcement Act (RCSEA)

Targeting Organized Theft. Protecting Communities. Strengthening Law Enforcement.

What This Act Does:

The Retail and Community Safety Enforcement Act (RCSEA) is a federal initiative designed to give law enforcement and prosecutors the tools they need to identify, track, and dismantle organized property crime networks that impact retailers, small businesses, homeowners, and communities across the United States.

It expands federal oversight and enforcement capabilities by:

1. Mandating a National Tracking System for Organized Property Crime

• Requires the Department of Justice (DOJ), in collaboration with state attorneys general, to develop a national database for tracking organized property crime rings that operate across jurisdictions.

• Covers crimes including:

  • Organized retail theft

  • Vehicle theft rings

  • Catalytic converter theft

  • Home invasion crews operating across zip codes

  • Burglaries targeting pharmacies, jewelry stores, or high-end electronics retailers

• Data will be accessible to local, state, and federal law enforcement for proactive investigations.

2. Establishing Federal Minimum Penalties for Repeat and Organized Offenders

• Defines “organized property crime” under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) for crimes involving:

  • Coordinated theft by two or more individuals with premeditated intent.

  • Stolen goods exceeding $5,000 in value or crossing state lines.

  • Use of digital platforms to coordinate fencing or resale.

• Imposes mandatory federal minimums for second-time offenders and those caught organizing or recruiting for theft rings.

• Strengthens legal tools for asset forfeiture, including vehicles, real estate, and bank accounts linked to the crime network.

3. Requiring DOJ to Release Annual Crime Data and Prosecutorial Outcomes

• Mandates the Department of Justice publish an annual public report outlining:

  • Total number of organized property crime prosecutions.

  • Conviction and sentencing rates by jurisdiction.

  • Trends in criminal tactics and law enforcement response.

• Provides transparency for the public, supports congressional oversight, and holds prosecutors accountable for failure to act on repeat offenders.

Why It Matters — Especially for Districts Like IL-1:

• Chicago and surrounding areas have seen a rise in sophisticated theft operations that are hurting small businesses, terrorizing neighborhoods, and driving job loss and business closures.

• Law enforcement often knows who the repeat offenders are, but prosecutors decline to charge or judges let them off with light penalties.

• Police morale is declining due to lack of backup from the courts and political leadership.

• Small business owners, particularly in historically disinvested areas, bear the brunt of repeated thefts, rising insurance costs, and vandalism.

• Communities are losing trust because criminals are operating in plain sight with no consequences.

What This Act Achieves:

• Creates a national system to track and prosecute criminal enterprises, not just individual thefts.

• Backs local police with federal legal tools, making prosecutions stick.

• Establishes real penalties for organizers and repeat criminals—not just slaps on the wrist.

• Applies pressure on local prosecutors to act by spotlighting their records in annual DOJ reports.

• Restores public trust in law enforcement and ensures victims of crime—businesses and residents—have real recourse.