The NYPD says shoplifting is down across New York City while arrests for the crime are up.
According to police data, there were nearly 52,000 shoplifting incidents reported in 2023. That's around 4,500 fewer than 2022.
When it comes to arrests, the NYPD reports there were 3,000 more arrests made for the crime last year than in 2022.
Police credit the decline to having more officers in shopping districts so they can work closely with businesses and monitor patterns. In turn, stores are more likely to report the crime.
"What we also saw with shoplifting is we had a 40% increase in the store calling the NYPD to report a theft. And that's what we've asked them to do. We can't help if we don't know about it, and that's what they've done," said Chief Michael LiPetri for Crime Control Strategies.
Shoplifting is still higher though than before the pandemic, which is something law enforcement says they will continue to work on.