By JOHN O’CONNOR
AP Political Writer
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed a measure into law making it easier to pursue those who engage in the rapidly growing crime of organized retail theft. Large-scale smash-and-grab crime exploded to the top of the legislative priority list with high-profile cases in Chicago, various California locales and Minneapolis. Gangs enter stores and in a coordinated fashion, break display cases, sweep up merchandise and run. Stolen goods are often sold to finance guns, human trafficking and more. The law creates a separate crime called organized retail crime which carries felony penalties. It eliminates a roadblock to prosecution by allowing one prosecutor to files charges on all parts of the crime even if some elements occurred elsewhere.
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