Tulsa Police implements new task force to stop shoplifters According to police, retail theft is on the rise and it's impacting Tulsa's bottom line. They started the Organized Retail Crime Task Force just in time for the holidays. TPD is working to stop criminals before they get to the stores. "We've identified numerous groups that do this for a living, some of them make about a $1000 a day," said Det. Lori Vesser with the Tulsa Police Department. "We're serving warrants, we're making interviews, we're following people around," said Vesser. According to Vesser, these criminals travel around Oklahoma and from state to state, doing grab and go's, taking high dollar electronics, even laundry detergent and diapers. They also commit gift card fraud with stolen goods. "Tulsa's probably losing $25 to $30 million a year in retails sales and probably at least $1 million in sales tax losses," said Vesser. After 30 days, TPD will evaluate the task force and it's success and it could become a permanent part of the department. (Source kjrh.com)