Listen to this articleA program aimed at cracking down on retail theft is bringing results, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said Monday.
Working with police and retailers, the DA’s “Retail Protection Partnership,” is a program created in October 2023. Officials say the program’s results include reducing the number of incidents, identifying repeat shoplifters, and, under the law, grouping alleged crimes together in which identified suspects could face more serious charges.
“We must protect our merchants and the jobs that come from retail businesses. In Suffolk County, you cannot steal someone else’s property. Through our Retail Protection Partnership, we are aggressively prosecuting repeat shoplifters and seeing actual results,” Tierney said in a news release about the program.
“When criminals target our local businesses, they are not just stealing merchandise,” he added. “They are threatening jobs, driving up costs for honest consumers, and destabilizing neighborhoods that depend on these stores. Our message is clear: retail theft in Suffolk County will earn you jail time, not a revolving door.”
The program comes at a time when shoplifting is on the rise, up by 24% across the country, according to published reports. While shoplifting and other larcenies in Suffolk County rose from 4,499 incidents in 2022 to 5,119 incidents in 2023, those incidents fell to 5,053 within the past year, thanks to the program, officials said.
And in New York, since bail reform was enacted in 2020, the DA’s office said, retailers have reported that shoplifters said they “would be back in a day,” knowing that they would be released without bail within hours of their arrest.
Through the partnership, members work together to disseminate information among prosecutors, retailers and law enforcement in a timely manner to enable the identification and arrest of alleged high-impact shoplifters, according to the DA’s office.
Participating in the program are some of the largest retailers in Suffolk, including Target Corporation, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Ulta, Marshalls, Stop and Shop, Walgreens, Macy’s, CVS, TJX companies and Burlington.
“Retail theft has a widespread impact from the business itself down to the consumer,” Suffolk Police Acting Commissioner Robert Waring said in the news release.
“The Retail Protection Partnership has taken a major step in curtailing the behavior of shoplifters,” Waring added. “This public-private partnership is a model that will benefit retailers and consumers, while sending a message to thieves that combatting retail theft is a priority for law enforcement in Suffolk County.”
Retailers give the program high marks.
“Our partnerships with local law enforcement are integral to identifying and dismantling the organized retail crime networks (ORC) and habitual offenders that repeatedly target our stores,” Ben Dugan, CVS’ executive director of Central Investigations said in the news release. “We are pleased to be part of the Retail Protection Partnership and look forward to continuing to collaborate with District Attorney Tierney as we work to combat ORC in Suffolk County.”
“Organized retail crime and habitual retail theft is not simply a financial loss for retailers, it is a serious store and community safety consideration as well,” Retail Council President and CEO Melissa O’Connor said in the news release.
“I want to thank District Attorney Tierney for partnering with us to hold crime syndicates accountable to the full extent of the law,” she added. “Not only does this send a message to those who continue to steal from local stores, it furthers the ultimate goal of safer communities.”
Another strategy of the program includes a new trespass notice implemented by prosecutors that is served by police on alleged shoplifters, letting them know that if they enter the store again, they could be charged with trespassing or third-degree burglary, in addition to any other charges they might face.
Additional information about the program is available here.