In the past year, there has been a growing trend of retail theft in both Suffolk County and Nassau County on Long Island, New York. According to local police statistics, the reported cases of retail theft in both counties have increased by over 20% compared to 2022.
In Suffolk County, the police department reported 6,482 cases of petty theft from stores in 2023, compared to 5,298 cases in 2022, marking a 23% increase. Meanwhile, Nassau County reported 3,819 cases of petty theft from stores in 2023, up from 3,007 cases in 2022, reflecting a 27% increase.
According to a report by Newsday on April 20th, Deputy Inspector Stan Grodski of the Suffolk County Police Department mentioned that large supermarkets and home improvement stores in the area have been hit hardest by retail theft, with organized crime being a contributing factor.
The report highlighted that LaShawn Lukes, the chairman of the Hempstead Chamber of Commerce, witnessed incidents of “zero-dollar purchase” while shopping at supermarkets, leading to difficult impacts on the community as small businesses lose inventory. Lukes also noted the growing challenge of hiring employees due to concerns about store safety.
Retail theft has been on the rise across the United States post-pandemic, with Long Island becoming a hotspot for these incidents.
In October last year, a man entered the Green Acres Mall in Nassau County with the intention of stealing clothes and fleeing. When security personnel caught him in the act, a scuffle ensued. The male thief left the mall naked and fired a gun inside before exiting. While no injuries were reported, the unexpected gunfire led to the emergency closure of the mall and nearby schools.
In a report three years ago, CBS covered over 25 incidents of theft at the Ulta Beauty store in Suffolk County, with one branch being robbed twice in a single day.
Inspector Mathew Lewis of the Suffolk County Police Department stated to the media at the time, “This is organized, shameless crime. It’s a trend seen across the country and, of course, we have it here too.”
A study by “Capital One Shopping”, a subsidiary of Capital One, revealed that US businesses lost $121.6 billion in 2023 due to retail theft, with New York retailers alone suffering losses exceeding $4.4 billion in 2022, leading to nearly $370 million in lost tax revenue for the state government.
“Capital One Shopping” predicts that by 2026, retailers across the US could incur losses exceeding $150 billion due to retail theft.
The investigation highlights that 58% of organized retail crimes involve merchandise theft, with a mere 2.0% success rate for stores in apprehending thieves. On average, only 1 out of 100 cases of retail theft results in the successful capture of the perpetrator.