The Washington Post: The zombie CVS, a late-capitalism horror story
Retail crime expert Karl Langhorst cited as expert in national news story
Karl Langhorst, an instructor in UC’s School of Criminal Justice, was cited for his expertise in the area of retail crime for an article in "The Washington Post".
The Post story focused on the closure of a CVS store in Washington, DC, and whether the closure was due to rampant crime or simply part of the chain store’s business strategy.
Regardless, images on the store prior to closure — with most everything locked behind plexiglass — had become a symbol of lawlessness taken up in today’s political climate.
“You can make it a left-wing, right-wing argument all day long. But at the end of the day, it’s a community issue,” Langhorst says in the article.
Several factors, he says, impact retail crime: In many cases, law enforcement doesn’t respond because they don’t have the resources and some jurisdictions don’t make it easy for retailers to file reports.
The article also addresses a pervasive “insurance will cover it” attitude.
“When you’re stealing from that store, you are in fact stealing from those employees, in a sense, because it does impact their livelihood,” Langhorst says.
Feature photo at top of shoplifting: iStock/AndrayPopov
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
The future, decoded. UC scholars reveal what’s next
May 20, 2026
The University of Cincinnati’s NEXT Innovation Scholars presented Gen Z-fueled insights on possible future trends at the Futures Forum 2026. Here’s what they see ahead.
6 ways starting a GLP-1 medication could affect your emotions
May 20, 2026
When patients first start taking a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medication, they probably expect to feel full. But they might not anticipate how it can influence their emotions. The medications act on the stomach and the brain, said Malti Vij, MD, a University of Cincinnati adjunct associate professor in the College of Medicine's Department of Internal Medicine and a diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine.
Donald P. Klekamp College of Law at the University of Cincinnati naming celebration
May 19, 2026
Joy reverberated in the atrium at the Donald P. Klekamp College of Law at the University of Cincinnati on Friday, May 15, 2026. Laughter, smiles, heartfelt speeches and an appearance by the Bearcat made for a special afternoon for the family, friends, University of Cincinnati alumni, students, faculty and leadership who gathered to celebrate the renaming of the college.