Lexington Police Chief Angela Greene Heads to AG's Office
Greene Will Lead Organized Retail Crime Unit
After more than four years of leading the Lexington Police Department, Chief Angela Greene is departing at the end of the week for a new chapter: heading the Organized Retail Crime Unit at the Virginia attorney general’s office.
“It’s bittersweet,” Greene told The News-Gazette on Monday. “I’m thankful for what we’ve done here and having whatever legacy is left behind, but I’m also excited about the opportunity to make a bigger impact on a statewide level with Attorney General Jason Miyares and this new adventure.”
Organized retail crime is “a significant and growing concern in Virginia,” according to information on the attorney general’s office’s website. It involves efforts by groups of criminals to “illegally obtain retail merchandise, cash, confidential data and/or consumer information” with the intent usually being to use any money generated from these efforts to help fund other criminal enterprises, such as drug and human trafficking.
The National Retail Federation estimates that organized retail crime results in a loss of $30 billion in sales annually throughout the country due to stolen merchandise. In Virginia, the stolen merchandise is estimated to cause the loss of $1.3 billion annually, including more than $80 million in lost tax revenue. In 2023, a new section was added to the Virginia State Code defining organized retail crime and its components, listing it as a class three felony, carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years.
As the director of the Organized Retail Crime Unit, Greene will be heading an effort by the attorney general’s office to “coordinate a statewide strategy to combat organized retail theft rings.”
“This will include me working with local law enforcement, prosecutors, retail partners and other community stakeholders to disrupt this criminal network,” Greene said.
“We are extremely excited to welcome Angela to the Office of the Attorney General,” Mike Costigan, senior director of programs and outreach at the attorney general’s office, said in a statement. “Organized retail crime is one of Attorney General Miyares’ top priorities, and Angela’s executive leadership in law enforcement will be a tremendous asset to us as we continue to identify and reduce crime across the commonwealth.”