What is the Organized Retail Theft Prevention Program?
Organized retail theft has become a growing challenge for communities across California. In 2022, the state launched the Organized Retail Theft (ORT) Prevention Grant Program to help respond to the issue. Funded by the California Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC), this initiative provides funding to law enforcement agencies, including city police, county sheriffs, and probation departments, with the primary goals of:
- Preventing and responding to ORT, motor vehicle theft, and cargo theft.
- Enhancing operations, equipment, and technology.
- Building partnerships between law enforcement, retailers, and communities.
The program aims to equip law enforcement agencies with more holistic resources to investigate and prevent these crimes while fostering collaboration with community stakeholders. In September 2023, $242,250,000 in grant funding was awarded to 38 grantees across the state.
The ORT Program also encompasses the ORT Vertical Prosecution Grant Program, where district attorneys use specialized prosecution strategies to tackle complex criminal enterprises. This includes addressing crimes like catalytic converter theft, a rapidly growing form of organized crime.
Learn more about BSCC’s ORT Prevention Programs
Organized Retail Theft Prevention Program Evaluations
Since early 2024, EVALCORP has partnered with nearly half of California’s ORT grantees to provide evaluation, data collection, and reporting services. Over the three years of the program, we will assess the funding program’s effectiveness and provide actionable recommendations to our clients to enhance their impact.
Why Evaluation Matters for ORT Prevention
By analyzing outcomes, identifying trends, and sharing best practices, EVALCORP ensures that the ORT program meets its objectives and adapts to the evolving challenges.
Our program evaluation services are crucial for several reasons:
- Accountability: Funding agencies like the BSCC require data on how grants are utilized and whether they achieve intended outcomes.
- Adaptability: Evaluations help local agencies keep track of their program implementation and refine their strategies by identifying what works and what doesn’t.
- Sustainability: Demonstrating program impact is critical for securing continued funding and support.
This blog highlights key lessons learned from our evaluations to help guide future efforts and improve outcomes for ORT programs.
Key Lessons Learned
Lesson 1: Flexibility Drives Success
One of the most critical insights from our ORT program evaluation so far is the need for flexibility in budgeting and implementation timelines. Several of our clients have faced unforeseen challenges that required adjustments to their initial plans.
EVALCORP has found that our ORT prevention clients are addressing the following:
- Staffing Shortages: Competing priorities and limited staff capacity delayed the execution of community engagement initiatives.
- Retailer Training Hurdles: Retailers required more tailored or prolonged support than initially anticipated, leading to adjustments in training schedules and resources.
Other challenges to ORT prevention have been documented elsewhere. According to results from the BSCC’s Initial Progress Survey that was taken by all ORT Prevention grantees in January 2024, the biggest hurdle for prevention has been related to the lengthy local procurement procedures and/or approvals required from the city council to accept grant funds. The BSCC survey found that 37% of all grantees have faced some sort of delay in program implementation due to this process. Reinforcing our own findings, the BSCC has reported that 32% of grantees have faced challenges related to staffing and hiring. As detailed in the chart below, grantees have also faced hurdles related to grant approval times (24%) and grant administration (13%).
Challenges Faced by ORT Grantees
Source: BSCC’s Initial Progress Survey, January 2024
Despite these challenges, grantees have undertaken key and core activities since the initial progress survey was finalized (Third Quarter Status Update (April to June 2024). One major success reported by the BSCC status update has been that as of June 2024, 97% of ORT grantees had established policies to address racial bias. In addition, nearly 79% had established official policies for surveillance procedures. The graph below illustrates that, despite the barriers and unforeseen challenges, progress has also been made in relation to training (32% complete) and staffing (24% complete).
Grantee Activities and Phase of Implementation – April to June 2024
Source: Third Quarter Status Update, September 2024
EVALCORP serves a large number of grantees engaged in diverse activities, enabling us to assist our ORT clients in brainstorming solutions to navigate challenges that may emerge. Additionally, we can link clients with other departments or successful ORT grantees for guidance in areas where they face difficulties.
Lesson #2: Proactive Communication is Key
The challenges outlined above emphasize the need to revise plans and budgets in response to real-world conditions. Proactive communication plays a vital role in addressing these hurdles. Grantees should maintain regular updates with the BSCC, highlighting implementation challenges and proposing adjustments such as revised timelines or budget reallocations. Incorporating these updates into funder evaluation plans can build mutual understanding and enable necessary flexibility.
External evaluators with prior experience working closely with BSCC can be valuable partners in this process. They can leverage their knowledge to support effective collaboration and communication between grantee staff and funding agencies.
Looking to the Future of Organized Retail Theft Prevention
By incorporating these lessons into future program designs, agencies can improve the effectiveness and sustainability of their efforts to combat organized retail theft. EVALCORP remains committed to supporting these initiatives by providing actionable insights and ensuring that programs are equipped to adapt to new challenges.
Through accountability, adaptability, and a focus on continuous improvement, California’s ORT Prevention Program is well-positioned to make a lasting impact on public safety and retail security.