Retailers Fight Efforts To Change Shoplifting Law

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Retailers are fighting efforts in Springfield to change the law for shoplifting, raising the point at which it's a felony from $300 to $2,000.

Rob Karr, the President and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, said you're hanging a sign around retailers that says open for stealing.

"Anytime you increase that threshold, I think it sends a terrible signal."

Karr says shoplifting costs at least $2 billion a year in Illinois alone.

"Thieves get caught once out of every 48 times they steal, so you could easily multiply that number."

He says in other states that have done the same thing, shoplifting has increased 17 percent, and the value of items taken is up 30 percent.

He says thieves know where they thresholds are and they are stealing to them.