Georgia Retailers Organized Crime Alliance (GROC)

If you’ve been following some of our amazing Georgia Retailers Organized Crime Alliance (GROC) VIPs, you might’ve guessed what was happening at the Georgia State Capitol today…but here’s the official word straight from the Georgia Retailers Organized Crime Alliance (GROC)! It was Georgia Retail Days 2025! Georgia Retailers Organized Crime Alliance (GROC) had the honor of joining several other retail organizations to raise awareness on key issues impacting Georgia retailers - like SB 68 (Tort Reform), HB 447 (Gift Card Fraud), and, of course, talking and tackling Organized Retail Crime. Huge shout-out to Ben Cowart, MBA and Shelby Dotson from the Georgia Retailers for orchestrating this fantastic event! From discussing ORC in front of the majestic Capital steps, to enjoying some awesome Georgia BBQ at lunch, we had a jam-packed day that included insights from special guests like Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King, Georgia Senator Steve Gooch, and Tim Ruffini (ORC Section Chief at the State of Georgia Office of the Attorney General) to name a few. BBQ ?? was a plus, but rest assured - GROC was there to strengthen partnerships, share forward-thinking strategies, and make a real difference for retailers statewide. ?? Overall - a fabulous day of collaboration and conversation—well done to everyone who helped make Retail Days 2025 a resounding success! ?? #GROC #GeorgiaRetailers #RetailDays2025 #ORC #Partnerships #RetailCrime Tym Conklin Shakeel Alleyne Dave Magersupp Kelly Harrington, LPC Cheri Pickard-Akselsen Rory Stallard Semarr Patrick Eric Trehern Greg Sparacio Jim Mauldin, CFI James McCafferty Danny Sorrells Rob Strickland Troy Bertino David Hall

What’s Georgia Retailers Organized Crime Alliance (GROC) doing at the Gold Dome today? Check back! We’ll tell you later!! Tym Conklin Shakeel Alleyne Dave Magersupp Kelly Harrington, LPC Cheri Pickard-Akselsen Rory Stallard Semarr Patrick Eric Trehern Rory Stallard Greg Sparacio Jim Mauldin, CFI James McCafferty Danny Sorrells Rob Strickland Troy Bertino Ben Cowart, MBA Shelby Dotson David Hall

Two months into 2025, and the momentum is strong for the Georgia Retailers Organized Crime Alliance (GROC)! ? January & February Intel Meetings – Packed virtual house with invaluable intel shared, connections made, and active ORC case discussion. These meetings continue to be a cornerstone in our fight against organized retail crime. March's meeting is just around the corner! ? GRLPCouncil Planning Sessions – Laying the foundation for 2025, focusing on building stronger partnerships between retailers and law enforcement to combat ORC head-on. Exciting opportunities and events ahead for the whole year! ? Braves Retailers Team Event ? – GROC, Cobb County Police Precinct 3, and The Braves RetailTeam came together for an impactful discussion on ORC, theft prevention, and retail security challenges. The collaboration, insights, and strategies shared were invaluable in strengthening our fight against retail crime. Huge thanks to everyone who engaged! What’s Ahead for March to finish Q1 strong? ??? Georgia Retail Days at the State Capitol – March 12th ?? GAWPS Conference – March 24-27 (Athens, GA) ?? LPRC Impact – March 24-26 (Gainesville, FL) Don’t forget to ??? Mark Your Calendars! ?? GROC’s 15th Annual Retail Crime Conference – August 13th, 2025 (More details coming soon!) A big THANK YOU to our dedicated partners, retailers, and law enforcement professionals for continuing the mission. Together, we’re making Georgia a tougher place for retail crime to thrive. Let’s keep the momentum going! ?? Visit us at www.georgiaroc.org to get connected and join the fight! #RetailCrime #ORC #Partnerships #GROC #LossPrevention #RetailSecurity #AssetProtection Tym Conklin Shakeel Alleyne Dave Magersupp Kelly Harrington, LPC Cheri Pickard-Akselsen Rory Stallard Semarr Patrick Eric Trehern Rory Stallard Greg Sparacio Jim Mauldin, CFI James McCafferty Danny Sorrells Rob Strickland Troy Bertino Ben Cowart, MBA Shelby Dotson David Hall

At Georgia Retailers Organized Crime Alliance (GROC) we are very excited about our new partnership with Auror! So many great things happening to strengthen partnerships here in Georgia as we continue to battle ORC.

Carr Leads Bipartisan Coalition Urging Congress to Take Action Against Rise in Organized Retail Crime During the 118th Congress, the House and Senate introduced the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2023 (H.R.895/S.140) and the Organized Retail Crime Center Authorization Act of 2023 (S. 139) - legislation that would provide law enforcement with the necessary tools to bring those behind this nationwide problem to justice. Now, Attorney General Chris Carr is leading a coalition of 38 attorneys general in urging the 119th Congress to re-introduce such legislation to include increased federal penalties for supply chain thefts. Last year, Carr created Georgia’s first statewide Organized Retail Crime Unit. In their letter, the attorneys general note that legislation proposed in the 118th Congress would expand upon and synchronize state and federal efforts with the creation of an “Organized Retail Crime Coordination Center” at the Department of Homeland Security, allowing for enhanced information sharing to address the complex, cross-border nature of organized retail crime.

Thoughts and prayers for the family of our fallen hero and the officers of Roswell Police Department Department.

?? Introducing the Georgia Retailers Organized Crime Alliance (GROC) 2024 video recap! ?? We might have let AI ?? help out a bit, but rest assured, the real work and crime fighting was all human-powered, thanks to our over 750 GROC Alliance members. Check it out and see how GROC is making a difference in Georgia! Tym Conklin? Shakeel Alleyne? Dave Magersupp? Kelly Harrington, LPC? Cheri Pickard-Akselsen? Rory Stallard? Semarr Patrick? Eric Trehern? Rory Stallard? Greg Sparacio? Jim Mauldin, CFI? James McCafferty? Danny Sorrells? Rob Strickland? Troy Bertino? Ben Cowart, MBA? Shelby Dotson? David Hall

Thank you to the brave men and women in law enforcement who protect and serve our communities with courage and dedication. Your sacrifices do not go unnoticed, and we are deeply grateful for all that you do. #LawEnforcementAppreciationDay Tym Conklin Shakeel Alleyne Dave Magersupp Kelly Harrington, LPC Cheri Pickard-Akselsen Rory Stallard Semarr Patrick Eric Trehern Rory Stallard Greg Sparacio Jim Mauldin, CFI James McCafferty Danny Sorrells Rob Strickland Troy Bertino Ben Cowart, MBA Shelby Dotson David Hall

Happy Thanksgiving from the Georgia Retailers Organized Crime Alliance (GROC)! We hope you spend the day surrounded by family, friends, and maybe cheering on your favorite football team ??. To our dedicated law enforcement partners, we are incredibly grateful for your service and steadfast commitment. For those working today to keep our communities safe, we extend our deepest thanks and appreciation. Wishing everyone a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving!

Another successful monthly Intel Sharing Meeting for the Georgia Retailers Organized Crime Alliance (GROC) in the books! A big thank you to everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to join us and share their insights and intel! Special thanks to our partners from Auror - Layne Nelson and Siarra G., for providing platform updates and engaging in a Q&A session! As usual, we discussed several significant ORC events impacting Georgia retailers and facilitated connections between investigators working on booster cases across different retailers and jurisdictions. Our Intel Meetings are the turkey ?? and stuffing ?? that make this Alliance strong, fighting the ORC battle daily, enhancing partnerships and making a real impact here in Georgia! Chad McManus, CFI, CFE, LPC Cheri Pickard-Akselsen Tym Conklin Shakeel Alleyne Rory Stallard Danny Sorrells James McCafferty Troy Bertino Rob Strickland Shelby Dotson Ben Cowart, MBA Eric Trehern Jim Mauldin, CFI Kelly Harrington, LPC Greg Sparacio David Hall Dave Magersupp John Gosart State of Georgia Office of the Attorney General