VIRGINIA BEACH — Thefts at ABC stores in Hampton Roads are on the rise and the high number of investigations is straining the police department’s resources, according to Virginia Beach Chief Paul Neudigate.

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

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

“They face the same struggles as us,” Neudigate said in an interview this week. “It’s an ongoing problem that doesn’t seem to have a solution, and we’re spending a lot of resources to address the recurring and ongoing thefts.”

Thefts at ABC stores in Virginia Beach accounted for 23 percent of all shoplifting in 2023 and up to 24 years, 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.

City councils in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake have included a proposal to amend the law enforcement code in their draft 2025 legislative agendas — a wish list of legislative items they hope the General Assembly will address in January. A vote to finalize the Virginia Beach agenda will take place on November 12.

In Virginia Beach, the ABC store on Northampton Boulevard is the most notorious for thefts, Neudigate said. It accounted 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 thefts increased 90% from 2022 to ’23, accounting for 43% of all thefts in 2023, according to the data. Chesapeake Draft Legislative Agenda. About $75,000 worth of liquor, or 1,417 bottles, have been stolen from ABC stores in Chesapeake so far this year, according to ABC data.

“Despite crime reduction strategies provided to VABC, thefts continue to burden local law enforcement,” Chesapeake’s agenda reads. “Giving VABC officers greater enforcement responsibility for these crimes will reduce the strain on local police resources and allow for more effective investigation and prevention of liquor theft.”

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

In Virginia, shoplifting is a misdemeanor if the value of the stolen merchandise is less than $500 and is punishable by up to 12 months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.

Portsmouth Police Chief Stephen Jenkins warned last year that alcohol stolen in that city ends up in restaurants or in unauthorized places of entertainment through networks in the region.

Neudigate said it met with ABC officials last year to discuss ways to reduce theft, including hiring private security at its stores.

But that option was not implemented because of the high cost, Tom Kirby, Virginia ABC’s director of operations, said at an Aug. 22 board meeting.

The authority is working on ways to protect its employees and prevent theft, Lori Murphy, director of retail, said at the August meeting. Big-dollar items have been moved behind the counter at one Norfolk store, and two in Portsmouth have been converted into walk-up stores where customers ask a member of staff to pick up their drinks. It has helped reduce theft, Kirby said.

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

Portsmouth had a significantly lower number of thefts this year compared to most cities in Hampton Roads, with 756 bottles stolen.

The worst theft problems at ABC stores have been by organized crime groups in Northern Virginia, Kirby said at the August meeting. Cognac is one of the popular products stolen from those stores, and the authority is considering stocking bottles in clear cases, Kirby said.

“VA ABC continues to be a significant drain on our resources,” Neudigate said. “If the VA ABC Law Enforcement Branch can take this over, we think it would be incredibly beneficial to Virginia Beach.”

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