The California Black Chamber of Commerce has joined the Californians Against Retail and Residential Theft (CARRT) coalition.
“The California Black Chamber of Commerce joined our coalition to help educate the public, elected officials, and public safety leaders about the rise in residential and retail crime,” said Matt Ross, spokesman for CARRT. “We are honored to have the largest African-American non-profit organization supporting our efforts.”
The California Black Chamber of Commerce has more than 4,200 registered small businesses throughout the state.
The California Black Chamber joins a broad-based coalition of business associations, local groups, and victim organizations advocating for California officials to act now and give law enforcement the tools needed to reduce crime. The coalition includes local Chambers of Commerce, California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, California Autobody Association, California Business Properties Association, California Business Roundtable, California Chamber of Commerce, California Delivery Association, California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, California Small Business Association, and National Federation of Independent Businesses.
“Businesses affected by crime must make up those losses by raising prices or reducing costs by reducing hours or closing stores,” said Jay King, president and CEO of the California Black Chamber of Commerce. “This disproportionately impacts communities of color, and that is why we are joining CARRT.”
In the first six months of this year, several law enforcement agencies noticed a marked increase in property crimes. The Los Angeles Police Department reported that property crimes were up 14% compared to the same period last year. The San Francisco Police Department reported property crimes are up more than 8%.
CARRT has been meeting with local officials, law enforcement, and legislators to ensure that elected officials understand the true impact of retail crime.
For information about CARRT, visit www.carrt.org. To learn about the California Black Chamber of Commerce, go to https://www.calbcc.org.
