Talk to retailers in just about any part of the United States and they will tell you that retail theft and vandalism have reached crisis proportions. Rather than being the small percentage that stores have been able to absorb in the past as “the cost of doing business,” it has gotten to the point where major retailers are closing stores or in some cases, going out of business altogether.
The question is, why has retail theft gotten so out of control at this point in time? While the lion’s share of the blame lies obviously with the criminals, a regrettably large share falls squarely on elected officials who create and institute public policy that deals with crime and punishment.
One of the most egregious examples of the theft epidemic is San Francisco. Thanks to California’s Proposition 47, which raised the monetary limit from $400 to $950 to which a person could be charged with a felony for theft, criminals have been operating with virtual impunity. This was done, incredibly, to allow for inflation and a spike in the cost of living. Criminals are well aware of this and know that if they keep their thefts under the magic $950 limit, they will be charged with a misdemeanor, if they are even caught at all. In turn, if it gets to court it will most likely be dismissed with little or no punishment. As a result of this bizarre policy, iconic businesses such as Macy’s, Nordstrom’s, Target, Denny’s and many others have been forced to close their doors forever in the city.
These types of absurd policies have been instituted in major cities across the country. Despite the disastrous impact on businesses, many officials simply cannot bring themselves to reverse course or at least accept responsibility for the ensuing chaos. After Walgreens announced the closure of three stores in Boston, city officials pulled out the tired old hue and cry of “racism” as the reason for the stores demise. Rather than acknowledging the real reason of retail theft, they deflected to “blaming the victim” instead.
New Jersey has not been immune to this phenomenon. Videos of well-organized gangs targeting high end stores have become all too common in the state. Smash and grab robberies have also trended in New Jersey, with jewelry stores especially hard hit. Nothing, however, beats the rise of retail theft that has targeted grocery stores in terms of frequency and sheer numbers of incidents. Working on a very narrow margin of around one percent, these stores simply cannot afford to absorb the unyielding stream of retail thefts that has become a daily occurrence.
We hear a lot about “food deserts” in areas throughout New Jersey. No one can deny that there are certain regions that are woefully underserved in terms of quality supermarkets operating within the community. What is rarely discussed is the root cause of this situation. Many have blamed it on the old standby of racism, which is patently false. In fact, any executive will tell you that they would eagerly set up shop anywhere if they can make a profit and ensure the safety of their customers and employees. Capitalism knows no race, ethnicity or creed – only potential consumers.
The answer to the epidemic of retail theft is three-fold: increase penalties at every stage, institute unrelenting enforcement at the ground level followed by vigorous prosecution with stiff penalties. Unless there is a serious legislative deterrent coupled with aggressive arrest and prosecution, criminals will simply laugh and continue the crime spree that has beset every supermarket chain and many other retailers across the state. In addition to the cost to businesses, the consumer also shares in the pain through higher prices and less shopping options.
A great first step would be to pass the suite of Organized Retail Theft (OTR) bills of which my colleague Assemblywoman Vicky Flynn and I are proud to be co-sponsors. This package of bills would increase penalties for shoplifting, protect retail workers from assault, create designated units to fight retail theft and target the organizers of the theft rings. These initiatives are not partisan, just common sense that should be embraced by both sides of the aisle.
It is difficult enough to operate a business with mounting challenges from inflation, supply chain unpredictability, overregulation, government mandates, rising energy costs and so on, without adding indifference from elected officials toward the epidemic of retail theft.
