LOUISVILLE, Ky. —

Kentucky is losing millions to organized retail theft, and Attorney General Russell Coleman says the state can’t afford to wait any longer to respond.

On Friday, Coleman joined state and local officials to outline a proposal asking lawmakers for more than $1 million next year, and nearly $1 million the following year, to expand Kentucky’s organized retail crime unit.

"In January, we’re asking the General Assembly to invest $2 million in our new organized retail crime unit," Coleman said.

Earlier this year, Coleman swore in a detective dedicated solely to coordinating the statewide response to retail crime. Now, he’s seeking additional funding to build out that team.

"This will involve hiring three more detectives," he said. "This will involve two investigative analys

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