New York City (NYC) has become a hotbed for shoplifting. The city has transformed into a haven for those inclined toward retail theft, and the local government can’t stop them.
According to an analysis of police data by the New York Post, reported shoplifting incidents reached the highest levels for the second consecutive year in 2022. The number of complaints related to shoplifting increased to over 63,000 last year, marking a 45 percent upsurge compared to approximately 45,000 incidents in 2021 and a staggering jump of nearly 275 percent compared to the mid-2000s. The situation has become a significant concern for retailers as the frequency of theft continues to rise uncontrollably, leading to frustration and a sense of helplessness among store employees because they “can’t stop them.”
Shoplifting reports have steadily risen since 2006, but the problem has escalated recently. Although there was a brief drop in theft figures in 2019, just before the pandemic, the numbers returned to their upward trend after the pandemic. In 2021, there were a record-breaking 43,675 reports of shoplifting, thefts and robberies, according to the NYPD data. These figures surged even higher last year, with 63,699 complaints.
Certain areas of the city have been particularly hard-hit by shoplifting.
