Baltimore (WBFF) — The Maryland Retailers Alliance is pushing for new legislation that would stiffen penalties for shoplifting and thefts.

According to the organization, crime at businesses has reached an over $100 billion problem across the country. But as the organization fights for tougher laws, the problem persists.

The organization's concerns come just one day after another theft at the A-1 Convenience Store on Joppa Road in Towson. Ali, the store's owner says he's considering shutting down after a string of thefts by mostly juvenile thieves.

Cailey Locklair who's president of the Maryland Retailers Alliance--which advocates for over 6,000 businesses across the state--believes a dramatic increase in organized shoplifting crime is threatening the survival of small and large retailers.

"That's exactly what will happen. But it's way bigger than that. It (means) higher prices for American consumers. It's less sales tax revenue for our state and our local governments to pay for the things that we all care about," said Locklair.

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In Maryland, $1500 is the threshold for a felony theft charge. According to Locklair, organized offenders simply jump from one region to another staying below the threshold. Locklair is pushing for stiffer laws that would combine offenses to help ensure a felony charge. But so far, she says, proposed bills have failed.

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