Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the New York State Police Organized Retail Theft Task Force has recovered over $2.6 million in stolen goods since April 2024.
The task force, with 100 state police personnel, has made 1,224 arrests and filed 2,146 charges across 1,006 operations. This effort has led to a 13.6 percent decrease in retail theft in New York City and a 13 percent decrease in larceny statewide from January to June compared to last year.
“Following the pandemic, New York’s retailers faced a sharp surge in organized retail theft,” Hochul said in a news release. “Thanks to the work of the State Police Organized Retail Theft Task Force, our partners in local law enforcement and District Attorneys across the State, we are recovering more stolen goods, making more arrests and seeing positive results.”
New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James emphasized the importance of collaboration in tackling retail theft. “Retail theft not only financially impacts a business, but also inflicts distress to business owners, retail workers and patrons,” James said.
Hochul has invested over $40 million in law enforcement and retail theft initiatives. These include elevating the assault of a retail worker to a felony and allowing prosecutors to combine the value of stolen goods for larceny charges.
The task force’s efforts coincide with a reported decrease in several crime categories in New York City, including a 3 percent drop in overall crime complaints and a 9.5 percent decrease in robbery.
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