Fox 19: Retailers being forced to make changes
UC’s retail crime expert Karl Langhorst speaks to the increase in retail crime
You have likely seen video of mass robberies at high end luxury stores and individuals stuffing their backpacks at local drugstores.
“It’s the highest I’ve ever seen it in over 40 years of being involved in this topic. Not only is it the highest level of activity, but the violence level is off the charts,” Karl Langhorst, a University of Cincinnati adjunct professor of criminal justice and retail theft expert, told Fox 19.
Langhorst, who teaches a course in loss prevention at UC's School of Criminal Justice, also works in asset protection for several large corporations across the country.
In the interview, he spoke to the difference between shoplifting and larceny; pointing out that organized retail crime members are not stealing for necessities, but instead often turn to this type of robbery to support lifestyle and drug habits.
It continues to grow, he said, because –in part – there is no accountability.
Featured image at top: iStock/ufinguss
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
Ohio looks to fast-track wastewater discharge permits
December 16, 2025
Bradford Mank, James B. Helmer Jr. Professor of Law at the University of Cincinnati, spoke with WVXU for a story about a proposal by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to streamline the way wastewater discharge permits are issued to data centers.
Tariff troubles for online shoppers
December 16, 2025
This year’s new regulations on tariffs and customs are leaving holiday shoppers with unexpected fees on some of their purchases, according to recent reporting by WLWT. Associate Dean of Impact and Partnerships for the University of Cincinnati’s Lindner College of Business Charles Sox spoke to WLWT about why shoppers are only just now feeling the impact, despite these policies being in effect for months.
UC sees record federal investment in engineering
December 16, 2025
The College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Cincinnati received a record $50.1 million in federal grant awards in the last fiscal year.