The problem of rampant shop-lifting in deep blue jurisdictions has continued to escalate in the last several years. Cities like San Francisco started the trend of passing laws essentially decriminalizing theft by setting value limits on prosecutorial decisions. Now, things are so bad that people are walking out of upscale stores with $120,000 in merchandise (NJ.com)
Four thieves stole $120,000 in high-end purses from the Dior store in the Mall at Short Hills on Monday morning, authorities said.
The men — all of whom were wearing dark clothing and masks — walked into the store shortly before 10:45 a.m. Monday and ripped 25 purses off the wall, Millburn police said in a statement Tuesday.
Employees “ran to a back room for safety” and called police, Capt. David Bonney said. The thieves sped off in a black SUV before police arrived.
Thankfully, some Democrats are taking action to protect their constituents. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has a new proposal for how to stop the scourage of theft plaguing the Big Apple. It’s tough and well thought out, and will certainly solve the problem.
I’m just kidding. It may be the most unironically hilarious policy prescription I’ve ever seen. I tried to warn people that Adams would be just as bad as Bill de Blasio (see: Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss).
NYC Mayor Eric Adams just unveiled his new plan to combat skyrocketing retail theft in the city.
These are not serious people. https://t.co/ovD5hT7APb pic.twitter.com/WCGai1CRHA
— AG (@AGHamilton29) May 20, 2023
Somehow, as you read those bullet points, every one of them manages to be worse than the last. Adams actually wants to further reduce prosecutions in a city that is already being run into the ground by Soro-backed prosecutors refusing to charge criminals. What even is an “intervention program,” and how would it do anything to convince people who brazenly shoplift to not do it again?
But that was just the warm-up. Adams also wants to give “de-escalation training” to employees. The real aim would be to train employees (specifically, security guards) to not intervene while thieves make away with thousands of dollars in merchandise. That is obviously in response to the shooting death of Banko Brown, a “transgender” person who was recently killed by a security guard in the midst of a robbery.
Thirdly, Adams is calling for “neighborhood retail watch groups” to report shoplifting and other theft in real time. Ask yourself, though, what good is that when the prior two proposals limit prosecutions and call for non-intervention during robberies. Would you waste your time reporting criminal activity you know will be ignored? I know I wouldn’t.
It’s the last proposal that takes the cake, though. Adams actually wants to install kiosks in retail stores that will offer social services to thieves. You know, because people who rob stores are going to take time out of their robberies to scroll through a list of local homeless shelters.
I’m constantly astonished at how insanely self-destructive the left is. You’d think they’d hit a wall and move toward self-preservation, but nope. It’s just full-speed ahead toward the cliff, whether we are talking about theft or encouraging illegal immigration. At some point, you just have to let it burn.