“During the city’s shoplifting peak, the department investigated 17,112 retail theft cases in the first quarter of 2022, meaning the numbers so far this year mark a 26% decline.”

““Our retail theft initiative really started back in 2023, where we took a look at things and we just were not getting prosecutions that we were looking for when it came to recidivism,” LiPetri said.”

“But thanks to the reforms passed as part of the 2024 state budget, the NYPD and Big Apple district attorneys have been able to collaborate on a winning strategy.”

“Authorities have taken advantage of changes in the law that allow cops to aggregate shoplifting incidents, so that thieves who used to get a slap on the wrist for stealing less than $1,000 worth of merchandise — a misdemeanor — can have the totals added up from different heists and face more serious grand larceny charges.”

“Cops are also now keeping better track of individual suspects, and also working with prosecutors to issue trespassing notices so accused thieves are barred from stores such as CVS and Duane Reade — and face additional charges if they run afoul of the court orders.”

“For instance, a suspect with more than 200 busts on his rap sheet, Laron Mack, was released after a petit larceny bust in 2023 — because the charge doesn’t qualify for bail under the state’s controversial 2019 criminal justice reforms — despite allegedly pinching from the same Manhattan Duane Reade at least a half dozen times.”

“Clark, who is homeless, allegedly assaulted a worker at the Herald Square H&M store on Oct. 5, 2025 before making off with $75 in merchandise, police said.”

“He’d previously been issued a trespass affidavit for repeated entries to the store – and he was slapped with robbery and assault charges under the strengthened protections for retail workers, police said.”

““We saw a 41% reduction in retail thefts … during the holiday seasons by putting officers on foot in large commercial strips,” LiPetri said, noting the effort stretched across the boroughs.”

““The result was a 14 percent reduction in 2025,” the commissioner said. “And this year, we have doubled down and retail theft is down 20 percent citywide in the first quarter compared to last year, with double-digit declines in all five boroughs.””