Initiated by Governor Gavin Newsom and strongly supported by the Legislature, the Organized Retail Theft (ORT) Grant Program represents California’s commitment to addressing organized retail theft. The program consists of two grants: Prevention and Vertical Prosecution.
The ORT Prevention Grant was established by the Budget Act of 2022 (Senate Bill 154) and was awarded through a competitive grant process. The grant supports city police departments, county sheriffs’ departments, and probation departments in preventing and responding to organized retail theft, motor vehicle or accessory theft, or cargo theft. It allows public safety agencies to implement strategies like surveillance technology, community education, and collaboration between law enforcement and retailers, fostering a unified effort to enhance public safety and effectively address organized retail crime statewide.
The ORT Vertical Prosecution Grant was established through Assembly Bill 178 and was also awarded through a competitive grant process for district attorneys to address increased levels of theft-related property crimes using a vertical prosecution model. The model allows for a streamlined approach that ensures prosecutors manage cases comprehensively (i.e., from arraignment to sentencing), providing continuity for victims and law enforcement.
The Organized Retail Theft Grant Program has made tremendous impact in the first year of the grant period. Read the ORT Year One Report
*Total dollar amounts include estimated value of goods, motor vehicles or motor vehicle parts, and cargo provided by grantees. Some grantee estimates may be underreported due to the unavailability of data, or the recovered motor vehicle values were presumably misreported ($0-$1 total value).
*Several grantees also work in coordination with the California Highway Patrol Organized Retail Crime Task Force and fellow jurisdictions. While every effort has been made to not co-mingle recovery values with those operations, it is not guaranteed.
ORT Grants and Resources
Questions about ORT Grants?
If you have questions about the ORT Prevention Grant Program, email ORT@bscc.ca.gov.