Retailers in the state of New York say they lost a mind-blowing, store-crushing $4.4 billion last year to organized rings of shoplifters, and they are urging Governor Kathy Hochul to deal with the problem before more stores close, more employees are threatened with violence, and more consumers discover the cost of things have gone up.
Last week, Hochul vetoed a bipartisan bill that would have established a task force to battle organized theft.
According to the New York Post, “Hochul rejected a proposal that would have created a 15-member panel made up of experts appointed by the governor, Legislature and the state attorney general that would have put together a list of recommendations to respond to retail theft.”
It was a move that left the Retail Council of New York State, an Albany-based lobbying group that represents retailers in The Empire State, feeling “extremely disappointed.”
“Stores that invest in New York communities lose $4.4 billion to retail theft, and this illegal activity certainly has community safety implications,” the group’s president and CEO, Melissa O’Connor, wrote on X. “Addressing this complicated issue requires interagency coordination and consistent communication among all stakeholders, including the retail industry.”
Addressing this complicated issue requires interagency coordination and consistent communication among all stakeholders, including the retail industry. — Melissa O’Connor (@MelissaOC24) November 21, 2023
“On behalf of the largest private sector employer in the economy, the Retail Council of New York State continues to meet with lawmakers, prosecutors and law enforcement to hold organized retail crime syndicates and repeat shoplifters accountable,” she said, adding that she met with Hochul “at length to discuss the need for immediate action and an effective, collaborative response to this problem.”
I spoke with @GovKathyHochul at length to discuss the need for immediate action and an effective, collaborative response to this problem. — Melissa O’Connor (@MelissaOC24) November 21, 2023
“She made it abundantly clear that retail theft prevention will be a priority for her administration, and we look forward to working with her to achieve results,” O’Connor said.
She made it abundantly clear that retail theft prevention will be a priority for her administration, and we look forward to working with her to achieve results.” — Melissa O’Connor (@MelissaOC24) November 21, 2023
The vetoed proposal would have cost New York $35 million, and the state’s most recent budget didn’t plan for that expenditure, a spokesperson for Hochul told The Post.
Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile said last month that, since 2021, the city has endured a 55% spike in shoplifting — and even that is probably a lowball estimate.
“That number is likely higher because businesses often don’t report it — but they do continue to express concerns,” Cecile told WSTM-TV.
Small businesses, he warned, are “having trouble sustaining themselves.”
One “large pharmacy chain” manager suffered losses of more than $250,000 a year.
“His losses are closing in on a critical mass where a store typically closes,” Ceclie said.
“Law enforcement officials from New York City to Albany to Syracuse have reported increases in incidents of retail theft — blaming the spike on progressive prosecutors who encourages criminal behavior with lenient punishment for shoplifters,” The Post reports.
New York shoplifter gets 100th bust and is released without bail, again https://t.co/qq1CFzpBG2 pic.twitter.com/Ai3hQz5dyw — BPR (@BIZPACReview) June 27, 2022
At one Stewart’s convenience store on Central Avenue, the Albany Police Department has responded to 23 calls for larcenies so far this year. That’s “up from 14 at the same time in 2022,” according to the outlet.
“Retail theft at convenience stores throughout the state is not as organized as at some other retailers but is as dangerous and impactful,” said Kent Sopris, president of the New York Association of Convenience Stores. “My members have reported theft that leaves stores in shambles as criminals seek cigarettes, lottery tickets, and anything they can get their hands on.”
“As of Nov. 19, Albany police have arrested nearly 2,300 people for larceny and nearly 340 people have been accused of motor vehicle theft,” according to The Post. “That’s well above the five-year average of 2,057 arrests for larceny and 281 for motor vehicle theft.”
The owner of Buffalo Fleece and Outerwear, Stephen Lands, said in September that his store had been robbed 20 times in recent months.
The police “usually blame it on bail reform,” Lands said, “and say they can’t arrest them and it would just be an appearance ticket so it’s not worth coming I guess.”
“Around one-third of all shoplifting arrests in the five boroughs last year involved just 327 people who were collectively arrested and re-arrested a total of more than 6,000 times, according to the NYPD,” The Post reports. “These 327 alleged shoplifters targeted 18 department stores and seven chain pharmacy locations, which accounted for 20% of all complaints, the NYPD said.”