New York City lays out new strategy to combat shoplifting
NEW YORK -- A new plan is being put into place to combat shoplifting in New York City.
Mayor Eric Adam announced the program Wednesday, saying it aims to both help businesses and divert people from committing crimes.
The plan includes putting kiosks in stores to connect people with government resources and social services. A new database will also allow retailers to submit incidents involving repeat offenders.
"Three hundred and 27 people were responsible for the 22,000 arrests -- and remember, those are arrests not actions. Many of them did the theft and got away with it," the mayor said.
The plan was developed based on a report showing citywide shoplifting complaints have increased in recent years.
Thefts jumped 44% from 2021 to 2022.
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