Police are under pressure from liquor thefts and want Virginia ABC to take over the crime investigation

VIRGINIA BEACH – Shoplifting at ABC stores in Hampton Roads is on the rise and the sheer volume of investigations is straining law enforcement resources, Virginia Beach Chief Paul Neudigate said.

He is working with city lawmakers to request a change in state law that would make the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority’s Bureau of Law Enforcement the primary agency responsible for reporting and investigating liquor thefts. He recently discussed the issue with other city leaders. and neighboring localities can join the legislative effort.

About 31,000 bottles of alcohol worth more than $1.6 million have been stolen from Virginia ABC stores to date, according to authority data from Jan. 1 through Oct. 16. Norfolk has had the most thefts in the Hampton Roads region. to date, 6,199 bottles of liquor have been stolen with a total value of more than $233,000.

“They are experiencing the same struggles we are,” Neudigate said in an interview this week. “It is an ongoing problem for which there appears to be no solution, and we are devoting significant resources to address the recurring and persistent thefts.”

Theft at Virginia Beach ABC stores accounted for 23% of all shoplifting in 2023 and ’24 to date, according to the city’s legislative agenda document. In that city alone, 2,000 bottles have been stolen this year — worth about $147,000, according to Virginia ABC.

The city councils of Virginia Beach and Chesapeake have included a proposed law enforcement code change in their draft 2025 legislative agendas — a wish list of legislative topics they hope the General Assembly will take up in January. There will be a vote on November 12 to finalize Virginia Beach’s agenda.

In Virginia Beach, the ABC store on Northampton Boulevard is the most notorious for thefts, Neudigate said. It was responsible for 3%, or 136, of the city’s total thefts last year.

Chesapeake has seen an even greater increase in ABC thefts over the past two years. ABC shoplifting increased by 90% between 2022 and 2023, representing 43% of all shoplifting in 2023. Chesapeake’s Draft Legislative Agenda. About $75,000 worth of liquor, or 1,417 bottles, has been stolen from ABC stores in Chesapeake so far this year, according to ABC data.

“Despite strategies offered to VABC to reduce crime, thefts continue to burden local law enforcement,” the Chesapeake Agenda states. “Giving VABC officers greater enforcement responsibility for these crimes will alleviate pressure on local police resources and enable more effective investigation and prevention of liquor thefts.”

Virginia ABC enforces state laws regarding the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages, and Virginia ABC special agents have full police powers. They can investigate permit applicants and conduct compliance checks on underage sales. They also investigate and prosecute criminal activity ranging from drugs, gangs and gambling to money laundering and tax evasion, according to the agency’s website.

In Virginia, shoplifting is a misdemeanor if the value of the stolen goods is less than $500. This carries a prison sentence of up to 12 months and a fine of up to $2,500.

Portsmouth Police Chief Stephen Jenkins warned last year that stolen alcohol is ending up in or out of restaurants in that city unauthorized entertainment venues via networks in the region.

Neudigate said he met with ABC officials last year to discuss ways to curb thefts, including hiring private security at the stores.

But that option has not been implemented because of the high cost, Virginia ABC Chief Operations Officer Tom Kirby said during an Aug. 22 board of directors meeting.

The authority is working on ways to protect its employees and prevent theft, Lori Murphy, retail director, said at the August meeting. High-priced items have been moved behind the counter of a store in Norfolk and two in Portsmouth have been converted into counter shops, where customers ask a worker to get their drinks. It has helped reduce theft, Kirby said.

However, sales at counter stores have fallen and the authority is considering closing some of them, Chief Financial Officer David Alfano said at the Oct. 3 board meeting.

Portsmouth has seen significantly fewer thefts this year, compared to most Hampton Roads cities, where 756 bottles were stolen.

The worst theft problems at ABC stores have been committed by organized crime groups in Northern Virginia, Kirby said at the August meeting. Cognac is among the popular products stolen from those stores, and the authority is considering putting bottles in clear lock boxes on the shelves, Kirby said.

“VA ABC remains a significant drain on our resources,” Neudigate said. “If VA ABC’s law enforcement division can take this on, we believe it would be incredibly beneficial to Virginia Beach.”

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, [email protected]