A group of shoplifters armed with knives has been creating chaos at a supermarket in New York City, stealing merchandise worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, while owners claim police are not adequately addressing the situation, according to reports.
Since July, this gang of five has targeted numerous stores, quickly filling their backpacks with high-priced items like beef, salami, and seafood, and threatening employees with knives if they try to stop them, store owners explained.
Efrain Castro, who runs Fine Fare in Upper Manhattan, mentioned, “Each time they hit us, they make off with roughly $800 in Dominican salami. They’re incredibly quick and hit stores with a clear purpose.” It feels as if this is their business model.
Workers in grocery stores voiced their frustrations over a perceived lack of support from law enforcement under Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. They argue that if repeat offenders are charged with minor offenses and released, there seems little point in reporting them at all.
At least one of the suspects is known to the NYPD, but details about his identity remain withheld from store owners, sources close to the investigation noted. This individual has a notable arrest history, including incidents involving a knife during thefts.
Samuel Corrado, president of the National Supermarket Association, mentioned that grocers have started to warn one another about these thefts through WhatsApp groups. He estimates that the gang has hit over 100 stores, resulting in massive losses.
“It’s shocking how they’ve been able to operate for such an extended period,” he commented. “I’ve never seen organized crime so brazenly active.” Unfortunately, he added, the NSA only tracks incidents reported by its 200 member stores, implying the problem is likely even broader.
A recent tragic incident occurred at a Morton Williams store in Manhattan, where a 64-year-old employee died following an altercation with a suspect.
Though no direct link to organized crime was found, this incident has galvanized store owners who feel ignored by police responses to the ongoing shoplifting crisis.
Corrado from the NSA remarked, “The impression we get is that the NYPD isn’t taking our calls seriously when we report these crimes.” The suspect in the Morton Williams case is still at large, and the NYPD continues to investigate, without having labeled the incident a homicide yet.
Last year, the NYPD initiated a pilot program in the Bronx’s 46th Precinct, re-implementing strategies aimed at crime prevention in retail spaces. The state has also tightened penalties for retail theft, making prosecution as a felony easier.
The NYPD claims retail thefts are down 13% this year, part of a broader decrease in crime. Local grocer Carlos Corrado mentioned a reduced presence of gang activity in his precinct, yet members of the gang remain on the loose. Just last month, a Key Foods store in Queens suffered significant losses when the gang stole its bacon supply, while in July, $900 worth of corned beef and other meats were taken from another of his establishments in Floral Park, Louisiana.
Surveillance footage shows the thieves acting brazenly, entering stores in pairs and showing no attempts to mask their identities.
Samuel Corrado explained that once the shoplifters fill their bags with stolen items, they often resort to violence, leading to confrontations.
Store owners described instances where, after calling the police, thieves would confront them at the station, sometimes accusing the employees of assault. “Our staff is reluctant to go to the station,” said Samuel Corrado. “They fear the consequences of filing a report.”
Earlier this month, supermarket representatives met with police from the 45th and 48th Precincts, where officers encouraged grocers to report every theft incident.
The pilot program allows stores to share photos and videos of shoplifters in real-time via WhatsApp groups, providing detectives with immediate access. Authorities are urging store owners to share their contact information for direct crime reporting.
While police have indicated a desire to continue this initiative, there have been no announcements about potentially expanding it. In a statement, an NYPD spokesperson asserted the department takes retail theft very seriously, indicating that recent measures have led to a notable decrease in such incidents this year.
However, many grocery owners feel compelled to handle matters themselves, often leading to dangerous encounters.
On September 8, at Fine Fair, security personnel confronted two people attempting to steal a large package of salami, which led to a scuffle that allowed other thieves to escape. In another incident in July, a group left a store in Astoria with $1,000 worth of frozen seafood in under three minutes while waiting for a getaway vehicle outside.
For supermarket owners, any theft is a direct loss since insurance deductibles typically reach $5,000 each. “We don’t call the police unless it involves violence,” Stephen Sloan, co-owner of the Morton Williams chain, noted, explaining that police response often takes over an hour.
“What can we do while we’re waiting? We can’t detain them indefinitely,” he added.
