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New York's shoplifting epidemic has now become so severe that a shadow “resale economy” has formed on online marketplaces.
According to a report by The New York Post, some of the city's most notorious thieves are selling products at discount prices on services like Facebook and eBay. Organized gangs are also providing their subordinates with “shopping lists” of specific items they wish to steal.
In some cases, thieves even steal perishable items like expensive ice cream before selling them for profit to people at subway stations or local bodegas.
A law enforcement source told the Post:
They get a shopping list of items that include cellphones, power tools, handbags… They bring the stolen goods to (illegal) wholesalers in the five boroughs.
Booster Crew members get their cash. Then the dealer, if you prefer, distributes them through his network, through storefronts if he has them, or he puts them online and sells to consumers through Facebook Marketplace.
Last month, New York's Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul praised his efforts to crack down on the issue, which is costing local businesses a whopping $4.4 billion each year.
His proposals included the creation of a state police workforce to prosecute organized theft gangs and the creation of extra surveillance methods for the resale of stolen items.
He mentioned on the time, “What we're centered on is a classy organized retail operation, centered on smash-and-grab makes an attempt.” “They go in and clear all the things off the cabinets.”
Shoplifting in New York Metropolis has skyrocketed in recent times, rising 64 % between June 2019 and June 2023, in line with the Council on Felony Justice. That's effectively above the 61 % enhance seen in Los Angeles, the place shoplifting has successfully been decriminalized.