As Shoplifting Continues to Spike, Governor Hochul Bolsters Law Enforcement from State to Local Levels

By Yehudit Garmaise

As thieves in New York City increase their brazenness and shoplifters continue to hurt businesses citywide, Governor Kathy Hochul wants to get all hands on deck to fight retail theft.

Starting at the state level, although penalties exist for possessing stolen goods, no specific law in New York State specifically targets selling these items online, nor for criminals who assault retail workers. 

To prevent stolen goods from circulating online, the governor introduced legislation that makes selling stolen goods online a criminal offense. 

“This law will force third-party sellers, like Facebook and Amazon, to enact better safeguards to prevent these exchanges from occurring on their platforms, or those platforms will face the legal consequences,” said State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal. 

In addition, Hochul included $25.2 million in new funding to create a new state police force enforcement unit that will be deployed “to build cases against organized retail theft rings.”

To ensure that justice is served, Hochul dedicated $10 million to create teams of retail theft district attorneys who will prosecute the cases of criminals who commit property crimes.

To crack down on “smash and grab” burglaries, in which criminals smash a display window or other wall to gain entry to grab valuable merchandise before making quick getaways, the governor set up a “New York State Police Smash and Grab Enforcement Unit.”

Coming down to the local precincts, Governor Hochul dedicated $5 million in her executive budget to combat retail theft at the local level. 

Hochul set aside $5 million for a Commercial Security Tax Credit for business owners who would like to install increased security measures.

Although Governor Hochul says keeping New Yorkers safe is “her first priority,” crime rates are not likely to change unless more criminals are arrested, bail is set, and those who are guilty are not re-released, says Boro Parkers.