THE CRITICAL NEED :  While the PATRIOT Act defines "domestic terrorism" for the purpose of authorizing law enforcement investigations, ironically, no federal criminal offense yet exists which is referred to a "domestic terrorism".

THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM :  Why should a police officer waste time getting into an altercation when the suspect is not going to jail because a prosecutor is not going to prosecute said crime already deemed not high enough on the priority list?

PROPOSED PETITION SOLUTION : Raise the legal definition of Smash and Grab Crime to that of :       

                       "  Retail Domestic Terrorism "

QUALIFICATIONS FOR RENDERING INTO U.S. LAW -  Under current United States law, set forth in the USA PATRIOT Act, acts of domestic terrorism are those which: (A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State; (B) appear to be intended - (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population: (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to effect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and (C) occur primarily with the territorial jurisdiction of the United States; - Source 18 USC 2331 (5)

Conclusion :

As such, Smash and Grab robberies constitute a clear violation of items A.B (i), and C, listed above, specifically, violent crimes involving looting of high-end international retail goods such as jewelry, handbags, clothing and related accessories, said perpetrators typically using violent store entry in tandem with direct destruction and rapid looting of display cases and/or related merchandise nearest their entry-point, exiting typically within minutes of said crime. 

WHO IS IMPACTED : "Retailers  lose about $65 billion annually to organized theft - - and criminal flash mobs are a growing trend nationally . . . incidents are believed to be part work of a network that recruits young people to steal items to be sold for profit online." - Excerpt source: New York Post / November 12, 2021

Security experts and officials alike say organized crime syndicates are often behind the carefully-orchestrated break-ins, which are hurting retailer's bottom lines, while in many daylight-crime instances, acts TERRIFYING both workers and customers.  Sophisticated criminal networks recruit mainly young people, offering them $500 to $1000 to steal specific merchandise from stores. Incredibly. the current video game, "SMASH + GRAB", an underground competition where gangs of the future battle it out for money, weapons and infamy inside a decaying corporate-urban world, (an interactive game which actually helps potential thieves hone their skills), should be banned as well, through this petition.

DESCRIBE THE SOLUTION : Enact emergency legislation making Smash and Grab crime a federal felony of "Retail Domestic Terrorism" under U.S. law.

> Federal Penalty : Mandatory 5 years, first offense; mandatory 10 years, second offense. Those caught selling traceable stolen items online (constituting an FCC violation) carry additional Special Circumstances charge with additional federal prison time of no less than 5 years added to their sentence, an add-on penalty reduced by half should they assist in the successful identification and prosecution of thier respective criminal--network recruiting source, online or off.

> UNMISTAKABLE CLARITY : Proposed self-describing law name/title:      "Retail Domestic Terrorism" makes it crystal clear to anyone contemplating such a crime, of its inherent legal gravity and federal implications, removing all doubt of the seriousness its consequences.

Furthermore, new federal prison work farms should be specifically built to house all individuals proven guilty of such violent crimes in order to help reduce prison overcrowding.

POTENTIAL WORST-CASE SCENARIO : If recommended enforcement action-into-law of Retail Domestic Terrorism is not taken, the current Smash and Grab damage toll has the potential to outright paralyze retail communities across America as it expands, bringing any chances of localized economies ever returning to normal (already damaged by the pandemic), virtually impossible.

WHY I CARE / MY CREDENTIALS : As an active member of the fine-art trade (commercial name, Lowell S.V. Devin), I have been personally victimized by two U.S. print groups who have continued to sell my original print works and profiteer throughout the Web long after my license contracts expired with them, (they) using remote overseas 'rabbit hole' networks beyond my original Amazon (an entire page of my works still being sold), and Walmart (NOT my art whatsoever, but completely misnamed, misrepresented and sold as mine) - - well as  accounts two groups still continue to use to flaunt their criminal theft, production and sale(s) of my work, making it all but impossible to trace and prosecute to the fullest extent.

Credentials:  My art carries a personal letter-review of "outstanding", direct from Doug Rowan, Fmr. President of Corbis Corporation, originally the largest digital archive of art and photography in the world.

Consequently, I am impassioned to seek justice for U.S. retailers and their losses by setting forth this petition for the safety, protection and benefit of all U.S. retail merchants, communities, families and individuals impacted by this ever-growing and brazenly dangerous retail crime wave occurring across America. As this is now apparently an international problem as well, other countries are welcome to adopt the name, or an equivalent thereof, of "Retail Domestic Terrorism" to their respective countries' federal and/or national laws.

#PetitionSmashAndGrabAsRetailDomesticTerrorism

Thank you.

David Keller                                                                                                                  Fairlawn, OH, USA

11/30/21 -  An abridged version of the above letter-proposal was sent to:

Senator Rob Portman, United States Senator for Ohio

#PetitionSmashAndGrabAsRetailDomesticTerrorism