Nearly 22,000 shoplifting incidents have been reported in New York City since the beginning of the year, a 5% increase compared to the same period in 2023.
National chains such as Target, CVS and Walgreens continue to close stores affected by rampant theft amid city records. 21,578 complaints From January 1st to May 12th, new york post report.
“We cannot continue to open these stores because theft and organized retail crime threaten the safety of our teams and customers, resulting in unsustainable business results,” Target said in a September 2023 letter. . announcement Stores across the country are closing, including stores in Harlem.
Joseph Giacalone, a former NYPD sergeant who is now an adjunct professor of criminal investigation, believes a big part of the problem is that politicians are ignoring the issue.
“Our politicians have been saying, ‘Shoplifting is not a problem,'” he said. post. “And all of a sudden you start to realize all these problems that are happening because a lot of these crimes were downplayed by the politicians themselves. . . . Eventually you have to pay the Pied Piper.”
Duane Reade, once a New York City staple, closed 90 stores in the city between 2019 and 2022.
At the time, the parent company did not confirm that the cause was shoplifting, but residents said caused concern New York City Police Department Regional Council meeting regarding the theft that led to the shutdown. our town report.
Real estate broker Joanne Podell said five former CVS stores in Manhattan are for sale. post.
Walgreens also listed 17 former Manhattan stores are on sale.
A Walgreens pharmacy and a closed sign at the entrance in Queens, New York. (Lindsay Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty)
Three weeks before the local CVS on Broadway closed, resident Maria Kooser said she saw a man “scooping things” into a black duffel bag. And it wasn’t the first time I’d seen him steal from a store.
“I felt they were stealing from me,” the 61-year-old said. “The theft inevitably caused me to pay more for my products. I was angry at the thieves because the cashiers, pharmacists, and staff felt like family to me.”
