Governor Kathy Hochul today highlighted her groundbreaking State of the State proposal to fight retail theft, as larceny offenses continue to rise, especially in New York City. This initiative would utilize proven crime-fighting strategies that have been used to drive down violent crime and gun offenses since Governor Hochul took office in 2021. Governor Hochul made the announcement 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,” Governor Hochul said. “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.”

Governor Hochul’s Executive Budget includes a plan to fight retail theft and property crime, including by launching a Retail Theft Joint Operation with all levels of law enforcement. 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.

Governor Hochul's FY25 efforts to fight property crime build on her existing efforts to protect public safety and fight crime. Under Governor 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. 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 percent and shootings have declined by 35 percent.

Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rossana Rosado said, “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. I thank Governor 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.”

New York State Police Acting Superintendent Steven G. James said, “I applaud Governor 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. 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.” 

State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal said, “The rise of shoplifting is severely hurting retail businesses in my district, and I am glad Governor Hochul is taking steps to combat retail theft across New York State. While penalties exist for possessing stolen goods, there is no specific law in New York State that targets fencing these items online. Our legislation (S1644) would change that by making it a criminal offense to foster the sale of stolen goods on the internet. This will force third-party sellers, like Facebook and Amazon, to enact better safeguards to prevent these exchanges from occurring on their platforms, or face the legal consequences.”

State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton said, “I'm happy that Governor Hochul is prioritizing a strong commitment to combating retail theft in New York State. In the Senate, I have advocated for legislation to elevate the assault of a retail worker to a Class D Felony – because I understand just how important it is to protect New Yorkers from violent crimes. Our retail workers and small businesses here in New York are just trying to make ends meet, and Governor Hochul's plan to expand our state's resources to fight retail theft truly puts their financial well-being and safety at the forefront.”

Assemblymember Manny De Los Santos said, “New York is working to address retail theft , and Governor Kathy Hochul is supporting this effort. We informed Collective Action to Protect our Stores because store workers, who were essential during the pandemic and still are, need our support. They deserve to feel safe at work, and Governor Hochul understands this. We’re standing with her to pass laws that protect New Yorkers from crime. It’s important to act now!”

New York-New Jersey HIDTA Director Chauncey Parker said, “This Crime Analysis Center and 10 others across the state facilitate the sharing of resources and intelligence across geographic boundaries and agency jurisdictions. That, in turn, allows law enforcement to focus, with precision, on identifying and apprehending the small number of people responsible for driving up crime, often across municipal boundaries. I applaud Governor Hochul for her administration’s commitment to fostering and funding partnerships that allow local, state and federal agencies to work smarter, not harder, in their efforts to make New York State safer for all.”

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark said, “Retail theft endangers store employees, shoppers, and devastates our community, especially when businesses close. My Office continues to prioritize the prosecution of larceny recidivists by employing a task force dedicated to handling these offenders. Governor Hochul’s funding for DAs to prosecute property crimes and deploy retail theft teams will support our efforts immensely. We will continue to work with the NYPD, the State Police, our local businesses, community partners, and the legislature to do all we can to keep our community safe and our businesses thriving.  I applaud Governor Hochul’s focus on retail theft to shore up vital businesses and address crime that depreciates our community.”

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said, “The Brooklyn DA’s office has been laser-focused on the stubborn and persistent issue of retail theft, which hurts our businesses and consumers alike. I applaud Governor Hochul for seeking appropriate solutions to this problem and look forward to continuing our partnership with law enforcement and community stakeholders to drive down the number of thefts taking place in our local businesses.”

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said, “Local businesses are crucial to the success of our communities. My office, in partnership with the NYPD, launched the Queens Merchants Business Improvement Program to help combat retail theft in Queens. Retailers say it has made a difference. I look forward to expanding our efforts through the governor’s support. I applaud Governor Hochul for her unwavering commitment to keeping New Yorkers safe.”

Staten Island District Attorney Michael E. McMahon said, “Despite opinions to the contrary, retail theft is not a victimless crime. These brazen thieves threaten the safety of employees and law-abiding shoppers alike, worsen the quality of life and overall shopping experience for everyday New Yorkers, and weaken our local economy. As Staten Island's chief law enforcement officer, the women and men of my office will continue to work with our partners in the NYPD in addition to local business owners, store managers, and leaders in the retail community to identify, apprehend, and prosecute repeat retail larcenists. However, more must be done to restore public safety and peace of mind to our state's shoppers, employees, and retailers. From calling for millions of dollars to our state's District Attorney's offices to combat retail crime to stiffening the criminal penalties for those who assault retail workers to assisting small business owners with upgrading their store's security systems, Governor Hochul is committed to addressing the retail crime crisis in our state. We applaud the Governor and her team for this series of proposed pro-public safety initiatives and look forward to working with her administration in urging the legislature to make meaningful changes to our laws that will allow law enforcement to hold retail recidivists fully accountable.”

Director of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice Deanna Logan said, “I commend Governor Hochul’s investment in common-sense solutions to combat retail theft in our state. The Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice is proud to work with our state partners on initiatives that enhance the work that Mayor Eric Adams prioritized related to retail theft, including the Retail Theft Task Force led by Deputy Mayor Philip Banks. Governor Hochul’s initiatives amplify our cross-sector partnerships, allow our state to hold those that engage in retail theft accountable, and increase overall public safety.”

President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union Stuart Appelbaum said, “The safety of our members has never been more important. Retail workers face growing workplace issues they never imagined, and more importantly never signed up for. Ensuring the workers who help us provide for our families can go to work each day and return home exactly as they left is a basic requirement that cannot be overlooked. It has never been more important that we confront this issue head on and we applaud Governor Hochul for taking on this important issue.”

Collection Action to Protect Our Stores said, “New York needs to take retail theft head on and Governor Kathy Hochul is a real ally in that effort. Collective Action to Protect our Stores was formed for a simple reason, workers in stores - who were called essential during the height of the pandemic - need our help and Albany needs to hear their voices. For too long, they have felt unsafe in their own stores when all they want to do is go to work, make a living and come home to their families. Governor Hochul gets it and we're going to stand with her to ensure our stores are protected so workers can work and shoppers can shop in peace.”

In addition to attending the meeting of the Partnership, Governor Hochul visited the State’s newest Crime Analysis Center, co-located at the headquarters of the New York-New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. The New York City Crime Analysis Center is the 11th in the State-supported network that will provide a centralized intelligence gathering and evidence collection strategy across the State designed to receive intelligence from retailers victimized by organized crime theft. This data, intel and evidence would be collected by the CACs and shared with local law enforcement to enhance the investigation and prosecution of these crimes across State jurisdictions.