NY Gov. Kathy Hochul declares war against shoplifters in 2024 State of the State address: ‘The chaos must stop!’
NY Post
Gov. Kathy Hochul declared war against shoplifting on Tuesday, saying retail thievery in New York has spiraled out of control — with many products in stores under lock and key.
Hochul unveiled a multi-pronged plan to tackle the shoplifting scourge, including boosting penalties for offenders who assault retail workers.
“I say, ‘No More!’ The chaos must stop!,” she said during her 2024 State of the State address delivered in Albany.
The governor’s plan would create a new category of crime to prosecute those who sell stolen goods online and set up a new “smash and grab unit” in the New York State Police Department to prosecute theft rings.
Hochul also vowed to provide dedicated funding to district attorneys to prosecute property crime, primarily retail theft.
She noted that grand larceny crimes were up double digits compared to figures before the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.
