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Most Mid-Year Robberies & Burglaries Ever Reported




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Closing Stores Over Crime is a 'Last Resort', Says NRF CEO
NRF CEO Discusses Consumer Outlook, Retail Theft on Fox Business
WASHINGTON, September 28, 2023 – NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay joined host Neil Cavuto on Fox Business’ “Cavuto: Coast to Coast” yesterday to discuss the state of the consumer and the unprecedented levels of theft and violence retailers are seeing in stores throughout the country.

The interview follows the release of NRF’s 2023 National Retail Security Survey, which found that retailers have been forced to close a specific store location (28%), reduce operating hours (45%) or reduce or alter in-store product selection (30%) as a direct result of retail crime.

Strength of the Consumer: “Consumers have been the story of the economy over the last three years, and they have continued to power the economy forward. We are over 35 consecutive months of year-over-year retail sales growth led by consumer engagement.”

Holiday Outlook: “We had a blockbuster back-to-school season, the highest on record. And that's why we think things bode well for the holiday season.”

Impact of Retail Crime: “It’s a financial tragedy. NRF’s National Retail Security Survey came out yesterday showing $112 billion in sales losses due to theft and shrinkage, up 20% from a year prior. But the numbers are really proxies for, in many cases, the tragedies that are playing out in communities, stores and neighborhoods.”

Store Closures: “Retailers have done everything imaginable. They have increased store security, adjusted their hours and tried to protect their goods. They want to protect their employees and their customers. Anything short of closing a store, a retailer wants to do in order to remain part of that community. It's a last resort.”

As the leading authority and voice for the retail industry, NRF is declaring Oct. 26 Fight Retail Crime Day and is convening retailers in Washington, D.C. to advocate for passage of the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act.  foxbusiness.com


WSJ Publishes Op-Ed Amid Target Crime Closures & Philly Looting
'Rack up more victories for progressive prosecutors,' the paper wrote

The Retail Theft Rampage Gets Worse

Target closes nine stores because of crime, as looters run riot in Philadelphia.

You may have heard that a mob of teenagers looted stores in downtown Philadelphia on Tuesday night, and Target said the same day it is closing nine stores in four states because of rampant crime. Rack up more victories for progressive prosecutors.

The mobs in Philly hit Apple, Lululemon and Foot Locker stores in Center City, which ought to be a safe space for civilized commerce. The Foot Locker store was “ransacked in a coordinated attack,” said police. Police have made more than 50 arrests and are investigating property damage and theft elsewhere in the city. Some 76 incidents have been reported.

Anger is justified in particular toward District Attorney Larry Krasner, who waves away property crime. His office reports 424 retail theft charges so far in 2023—compared to more than 1,500 by the same date in 2017, the year before he took office. Reports of retail theft in Philly have increased by more than 30%—to 13,330—compared to a year ago, according to the city’s latest weekly crime report.

Retail theft is a nationwide epidemic, according to a National Retail Federation (NRF) survey released Tuesday. For the 2022 fiscal year, retailers reported a “shrink” rate of 1.6%, mostly from theft, which as a percentage of all retail sales would be a $112.1 billion loss for the industry, says NRF.

“We cannot continue operating these stores because theft and organized retail crime are threatening the safety of our team and guests, and contributing to unsustainable business performance,” Target said in explaining its decision to close two stores in Seattle, three in Portland, Ore., three in San Francisco and Oakland, and one in New York.

George Soros and the progressive DAs he finances claim to be helping the poor and minorities, but those communities are the main victim of rampaging theft. The Target store shutting down in New York is in Harlem, which staged a renaissance during the Rudy Giuliani and Mike Bloomberg mayoralties. It is now sliding back into crime and disorder. wsj.com


In Case You Missed It
The Full List of Target's 9 Theft Closures Across 4 States

California Target closing stores

• SF Folsom and 13th St: 1690 Folsom St
• Oakland Broadway & 27th: 2650 Broadway
• Pittsburg: 4301 Century Blvd

Closing Portland Target stores

• Portland Galleria: 939 SW Morrison St.
• Portland Powell: 3031 SE Powell Blvd.
• Portland Hollywood: 4030 NE Halsey St.

New York Target store closing

• New York City: 517 E 117th Street, Harlem

Seattle Target closing stores

• Seattle University Way: 4535 University Way NE
• Seattle Ballard: 1448 NW Market St, Suite 100   axios.com


Fallout from Philadelphia's Night of Looting & Unrest
Dozens arrested as groups break into stores, vandalize businesses across Philadelphia, police say

The unrest stretched across the city, including Center City, the Northeast, and West Philadelphia.

Large groups of young people broke into numerous stores across Philadelphia Tuesday night, stealing merchandise and vandalizing property, Acting Police Commissioner John Stanford said.

By midnight, police had arrested more than 20 people, a few of them juveniles, Stanford said, and at least two guns were recovered. The unrest stretched across the city, including Center City, the Northeast, and West Philadelphia, with business corridors along Aramingo Avenue and Walnut Street targeted through the night.

On Wednesday morning, a spokesperson for the District Attorney’s Office said at least 30 people, including three juveniles, were being charged so far, most with burglary and theft. One person has been charged with illegal gun possession, she said. Fine Wine & Good Spirits said all of its stores would close until further notice after 18 locations were burglarized overnight.

Initial reports of break-ins near Rittenhouse Square began just after 8 p.m., shortly after protesters had dispersed from a peaceful gathering at City Hall, where marchers called for justice for Eddie Irizarry, who was shot and killed by a Philadelphia Police officer last month. Earlier Tuesday, a judge dismissed all charges against the officer who killed him, setting off a wave of outrage in the community.

Stanford was quick to make clear that Irizarry’s supporters had nothing to do with Tuesday night’s unrest. He called the young people who looted “criminal opportunists” who were not affiliated with the earlier gathering. inquirer.com


Philadelphia, PA: Update: At least 52 arrested after crowds ransack stores across Philadelphia
Philadelphia police announced Wednesday that 52 people have been arrested after a large group of looters ransacked various businesses in the bustling Center City neighborhood on Tuesday night. In the most recent update, police say 49 adults and 3 juveniles have been arrested. The counts filed include burglary and theft, among others, according to Jane Roh, spokesperson for the Philadelphia district attorney’s office. Philadelphia Police say the crime spree began around 7:30 p.m. when officers received numerous 911 calls and reports of a looting happening at the Foot Locker on 1500 Chestnut Street. Minutes later, police received another call for a looting at the Apple Store on 1600 Walnut Street. No arrests were made but numerous stolen items have since been recovered, police said. Social media video showed some of the suspects smashing phones and tablets on the ground after realizing that they had been automatically disabled and alarms were going off.  fox59.com


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Burglaries Up 38%, Robberies Up 33% Amid Oakland's Crime Emergency
Oakland business owners call for state of emergency on crime amid symbolic strike

Burglaries spiked by 38% and robberies by 33% over last year

Business owners who declared a “strike” in protest of the city’s spiking crime rates ultimately closed their storefronts for just two hours Tuesday, but it was enough time to get their point across: Oakland’s rise in robberies and burglaries is intolerable.

The public demonstration — while mostly symbolic — allowed restaurant and store owners to join local business leaders in calling for the mayor to declare a state of emergency. Doing so, they say, could help Oakland secure more funding from the state and federal government for additional law enforcement and provide direct cash payments to businesses that have taken financial hits from thefts and robberies.

As of Sunday, burglaries in Oakland had spiked by 38% and robberies by 33% in 2023 from the same period last year, according to data provided by the Oakland Police Department. Even more strikingly, police data show local burglaries were up nearly 87% from the year-to-date total in 2021, a year notorious for its explosion in pandemic-era violent crime.

Some leaders of the city’s chambers of commerce have come to double as anti-crime advocates, with Chinatown community leader Carl Chan heading up the recall efforts against notably progressive Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, who critics say has been too soft in prosecuting crime.

Political tensions around crime grew even more tense earlier this month after the city’s leaders failed to apply in time for a state grant that sent millions of dollars to boost crime-fighting efforts in several Bay Area cities. mercurynews.com


Self-Checkout Pushback Grows Amid Theft Concerns
ShopRite Brings Back Full-Service Checkout After Self-Checkout Plan Backfires
Some states are pushing back against automating the front-end of supermarkets. Earlier this year, Rhode Island introduced new legislation that limits the number of self-checkouts in the state’s grocery stores. Under the proposed bill, grocers would not be allowed to have more than eight self-service checkout stations operating at any one time per location. Among other measures, the proposed legislation would require grocers give customers a 10% discount for checking out their own groceries.

Meanwhile, Sparkle Markets, a locally-owned and operated chain that runs 19 stores in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, is steadfast in its commitment to the traditional checkout experience. The retailer’s President Vincent Furrie, Jr. indicated it will not add self-checkout, saying, “Employing our neighbors not only benefits the company, but it also benefits our communities. In times like this, jobs are more important than ever. We value the person at the register — we hope you do as well. Helping one another just cannot be replaced.”

Other grocers are rethinking their self-checkout strategy due to shrinkage concerns surrounding the increase in retail theft. progressivegrocer.com


Progressive Cook County State's Attorney Gets Grilled Over 'Pro-Crime' Policies
Democrats blast House Republicans for planned forum on Chicago crime instead of working to avert a government shutdown

Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee blame violent crime in Chicago on Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx at a Tuesday forum at the city’s Fraternal Order of Police office.

Republican members of the committee plan to blame Chicago’s violent crime on Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and what they say are her “pro-crime and anti-victim policies” at the forum Tuesday at the city’s Fraternal Order of Police office on the Near West Side, according to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan’s office.

Jordan went on social media Monday to criticize Chicago’s handling of violent crime, writing on the platform X that a string of armed robberies in Chicago is “what happens when Democrats run your city.” In another post, he wrote, “30 shot. 3 killed. One weekend. Democrat-run Chicago.”

Foxx — who is not seeking reelection — told the Sun-Times Jordan is coming to Chicago rather than fulfilling his obligations to his constituents as the nation is on the verge of a “Republican sponsored government shutdown.” She also took aim at Chicago FOP President John Catanzara, who last year apologized for comments he initially made in defense of Jan. 6 insurrectionists.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the spotlight on Chicago shows that Republicans are more focused on “fearmongering and lies instead of doing the very basic function of the jobs they were elected to do — keep the government running.” chicago.suntimes.com

RELATED: Chicago turning into 'Gotham City,' witness tells U.S. House committee


Organized retail theft low in Houston, but officials say regular theft a problem

Mass shootings in California have increased since 2020

Riverside, IL: What’s behind the increase in takeover and smash-and-grab crimes?