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
UC student's NFL internship leads to $20,000 gift to reduce loan burden
October 29, 2026
University of Cincinnati athletic training graduate student Savannah Posey interned with the Buffalo Bills during training camp and received a surprise $20,000 gift toward her student loans from safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson through his Ceedy Cares Foundation.
UC celebrates a century of Homecoming with a parade, pride and signature win over Texas Tech
October 28, 2026
The University of Cincinnati celebrated it's 100th Homecoming. The Cincinnati Bearcats defeated No. 8-ranked Texas Tech, 37-24, before a sell-out audience in Nippert Stadium. Photos of Homecoming activities show Bearcats Pride at its finest.
Who is using nicotine pouches?
October 28, 2026
A University of Cincinnati study found that nicotine pouch use increased sharply among U.S. adult tobacco users between 2021 and 2024. Using national YouGov survey data, researchers reported that “ever use” rose from 16.4% to 31.1%, while current use increased from 3% to 10.2%.