Hochul shares more details on plan to fight retail theft

NEW YORK —  Gov. Kathy Hochul recently highlighted her groundbreaking State of the State proposal to fight retail theft, as larceny offenses continue to rise, especially in New York City.

According to a press release, this initiative would utilize proven crime-fighting strategies that have been used to drive down violent crime and gun offenses since  Hochul took office in 2021. Hochul announced it after attending the 600th daily meeting of the Gun Violence Strategies Partnership, a joint effort between federal, State and local law enforcement, this morning in lower Manhattan.

“Public safety is my top priority, and I won’t rest until every New Yorker feels safe on our streets, subways and storefronts,” Hochul said in the release. “Over the past three years, we’ve made incredible progress on driving down violent crime and fighting the scourge of gun violence. Now, we’re using those same strategies to take on the quality-of-life issues like retail theft and property crime.”

Hochul’s Executive Budget includes a plan to fight retail theft and property crime, including launching a Retail Theft Joint Operation with all levels of law enforcement, the release said. The Joint Operation would coordinate a unified law enforcement response, modeled on the successful Interstate Task Force On Illegal Guns. The plan also includes:

Introducing legislation to establish criminal penalties for online marketplaces and third-party sellers that foster the sale of stolen goods and increase criminal penalties for assaulting retail workers.

Setting up a New York State Police Smash and Grab Enforcement Unit. The Executive Budget includes $25.2 million in new funding to deploy a dedicated State Police team to build cases against organized retail theft rings and create a new State Police enforcement unit dedicated to this purpose.

$10 million in funding for DAs to prosecute property crime cases and deploy dedicated Retail Theft Teams in District Attorney (DA) Offices.

$5 million in additional State funding to build the capacity of local law enforcement efforts to combat retail theft.

$5 million for a Commercial Security Tax Credit to help business owners offset the costs of certain store security measures.

Hochul’s FY25 efforts to fight property crime build on her existing efforts to protect public safety and fight crime, the release said. Under Hochul’s leadership, New York is a national leader in gun arrests and red-flag laws.

Federal CDC data from 2023 shows that New York has the second-lowest homicide rate among the most populous states in the nation and the fourth-lowest rate among those states of firearm-related injuries resulting in death. According to the release, gun violence has decreased across New York State, and murders and shootings have declined to pre-pandemic levels. Since 2021, murders have declined by 37% and shootings have declined by 35%.

“Staff of the state’s one-of-a-kind Crime Analysis Center Network provide invaluable investigative support that helps police solve, reduce and prevent crimes,” Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rossana Rosado said in the release. “I thank Gov. Hochul for her continued commitment to funding crime analysis, information sharing, strategic partnerships and our local law enforcement partners. This state investment is critical and will help our local police and prosecutors implement strategies to drive down retail theft that is plaguing their communities.”

“I applaud Gov. Hochul for her continued support and for recognizing the critical role that these resources play in solving and addressing the crimes that impact our neighborhoods and communities daily,” New York State Police Acting Superintendent Steven G. James said in the release. “By expanding these resources and building upon successful joint efforts like the Interstate Task Force On Illegal Guns together, with our law enforcement partners, we can solve crimes more quickly, and also prevent future incidents.”