Shoplifting remains a major crisis in America’s two largest cities, as thefts have increased 64 percent in New York City and 61 percent in Los Angeles over the past four years.
The Council on Criminal Justice said that while shoplifting in New York dropped slightly in the first half of 2023, the number is still high with more than 90,000 incidents through Nov. 5, according to the city’s crime statistics.
Los Angeles, on the other hand, remains a mess, with a shocking 109 percent increase in shoplifting in the first six months of this year, the highest increase in the country.
Dallas saw the second highest increase in the first half of 2023, with a 73 percent increase in shoplifting.
Six other major U.S. cities have also seen an increase in shoplifting since 2019: Virginia Beach, Dallas, Raleigh, Boston and Pittsburgh.
Shoplifting remains a major crisis in America’s two largest cities, as thefts have increased by 64 percent in New York City and 61 percent in Los Angeles over the past four years
In May, New York Mayor Eric Adams pledged to crack down on shoplifting in the Big Apple as a crime wave continues to plague businesses in the Democratic-run city.
“Shoplifting, especially ‘smash and grab’ episodes captured on video, has received extensive attention from the media and policymakers, and retailers have cited theft concerns when closing stores and placing goods in locked crates,” says Ernesto Lopez , a CCJ research specialist who co-authored the report.
The Criminal Justice Council offered several possible explanations, including an increase in bail reform laws and a higher percentage of stores reporting shoplifting.
However, they say the numbers in New York — home to a much-debated bail reform law — do not reflect those at the time the law was passed.
“Much better data from law enforcement and retail data is needed to help strengthen our understanding of shoplifting trends,” Lopez added.
‘For the time being, it is unclear whether the increase is the result of increased shoplifting, increased reports from companies to the police, or a combination of both.’
Retail thefts remain a major problem in major cities, with many major retail chains responding by closing stores.
In September, Target announced it would close locations in New York City, Seattle, San Francisco and Portland because “theft and organized retail crime threaten the safety of our team and our guests.”
The Council on Criminal Justice said that while shoplifting in New York dropped slightly in the first half of 2023, the number is still high with more than 90,000 incidents through Nov. 5, according to the city’s crime statistics.
Los Angeles, on the other hand, remains a mess, with a shocking 109 percent increase in shoplifting in the first six months of this year, the highest increase in the country.
On October 21, two locations in Seattle, three stores in the San Francisco-Oakland area, three stores in Portland and one store in Harlem, New York will close for good.
“We cannot continue to operate these stores because theft and organized retail crime threaten the safety of our team and guests and contribute to unsustainable business performance,” Target said in the paper. press release.
“We know our stores play an important role in their communities, but we can only be successful if the working and shopping environment is safe for everyone.”
Adams has publicly pledged to end New York’s shoplifting epidemic.
With the exception of 2020, the total number of shoplifting complaints citywide has increased year over year since 2018, with the largest increase, 44 percent, occurring between 2021 and 2022, the mayor’s office said.
Citing the dramatic increase in crime costing businesses millions of dollars, Adams held a press conference to announce his crackdown.
“Last year alone, 327 repeat offenders were responsible for 30 percent of our city’s more than 22,000 shoplifting incidents,” Adams said.
“This has harmed our businesses, our employees, our customers and our city.”
The Criminal Justice Council offered several possible explanations, including an increase in bail reform laws and a higher percentage of stores reporting shoplifting
Retail thefts remain a major problem in major cities, with many major retail chains responding by closing stores
In May, New York Mayor Eric Adams pledged to crack down on shoplifting in the Big Apple as a crime wave continues to plague businesses in the Democratic-run city.
Adams said the new plan includes a streamlined way for businesses to report shoplifting to the NYPD, establishes a retail neighborhood watch program and creates a specialized task force to respond to shoplifting incidents.
According to a report from the National Retail Federation (NRF), Los Angeles had the highest rate of “organized retail crime” in 2022 for the fifth year in a row.
The study includes insights from 177 brands that accounted for $1.6 trillion in annual U.S. sales by 2022.
It found that shrink – the total losses suffered by retailers – rose by $20 billion in a year to an eye-watering $112.2 billion in 2022.
And since up to 70 percent of these losses are due to theft, that means shoplifters have stolen approximately $78.4 billion from businesses.
A report from the National Retail Federation (NRF) shows that Los Angeles has the highest rate of ‘organized retail crime’ for the fifth consecutive year
San Francisco came in second and was followed by Houston, TX, New York City, NY, Seattle, WA, and Atlanta, GA.
Sacramento, CA, and Chicago, IL tied for seventh place. Rounding out the top ten were Denver, CO, Miami, FL and Albuquerque, NM, all tied. The study did not specify how many crime incidents each city had seen.
Retailers have always been vulnerable to shoplifting, but recently there has been a rise in coordinated and organized robberies in stores.
The NRF report confirms that the trend is largely driven by large urban areas. The top five locations are also Democratic-led areas.
It has led to a drastic backlash from stores, with companies like Target and CVS locking down their products to deter shoplifters.