Arizona’s ORC Playbook

Why it matters

Organized retail crime in Arizona is coordinated, profit-driven, and increasingly mobile — making shared intelligence the key to stopping repeat offenders.

The big picture

Detective Mark Holtzen, Vice President of AZ ORCA, says the state’s strategy hinges on uniting law enforcement, retailers, and prosecutors to connect cases in real time and treat ORC as organized crime not isolated theft.

Policy backdrop

Arizona recently strengthened tools, including a new gift card fraud statute, and prosecutors are pursuing ORC cases as felony-level organized crime, including extradition when necessary.

What’s next

The biggest opportunity for 2026: expand training beyond specialists so patrol officers, retail employees, and prosecutors recognize ORC earlier and build stronger cases from day one.

Bottom line

ORC operates as a network. Arizona’s response is building one to match.