Eric Adams' plan to combat rampant retail theft in New York City laughed at by critics: 'This is beyond parody'

New York City Mayor Eric Adams unveiled a "comprehensive plan to combat retail theft across New York City’s five boroughs" this week. However, many have lampooned the plan, questioning whether the anti-crime plan is real or a parody.

Crime has exploded in New York City in recent years.

New York Police Department statistics show that over the last two years, burglaries have increased by 24%, grand larceny spiked 51%, and grand larceny auto has soared by 84%.

Complaints of retail theft have skyrocketed by 77% in New York City from 2018 to 2022, according to a "Combatting Retail Theft" report by the NYC Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice.

Adams noted, "Last year alone, 327 repeat offenders were responsible for 30 percent of the more than 22,000 retail thefts across our city. This hurt our businesses, our workers, our customers, and our city."

Adams – who was elected mayor on his "tough on crime" platform" – revealed his new plan to combat rampant retail theft, which includes installing kiosks in stores to offer social services to thieves.

The plan would "allow non-violent offenders to avoid prosecution or incarceration by meaningfully engaging with services to help address underlying factors that lead to shoplifting."

The government will ask retailers to send their employees to training for "de-escalation tactics, anti-theft tools, and security best practices to help keep them safe in the event of an emergency."

Part of the plan is to "establish a neighborhood retail watch for businesses in close proximity to one another to share real-time intelligence with each other and with law enforcement in the event of a theft."

The city would install "resource kiosks in stores to connect individuals in need to critical government resources and social services."

However, not everyone was impressed by Adams' retail anti-crime initiative.

Reactions on Twitter ridiculed the "progressive" plan for being too idealistic.

Republican Rep. Dan Bishop (NC-08): "The Dems’ latest answer to skyrocketing crime in cities is … self help kiosks for thieves?? This is beyond parody."

Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton: "Almost a parody of the Soros-approach to public safety. Unfortunately, this is a standard, dangerous approach for the leftist extremists running our major cities."

Republican communications advisor Steve Guest: "These kiosks will be stolen first."

Filmmaker Jason Bermas: "Although this doesn't seem like it could be real, in 2023 it is beyond parody."

Blogger John McGuirk: "Not satire. Real."

Entrepreneur Carson Krow: "They’re serious— about destruction of our society. We have to stop mistaking intentional damage for incompetence."

YouTube personality and attorney Viva Frei: "'De-escalation training for retail employees.' What better way to help store owners deal with the costs of skyrocketing retail theft than by… forcing them to incur additional useless operating costs."

Producer Jonas J. Campbell: "Why don’t they put a time out corner in the store too?"

One Twitter user said: "The last one is so ridiculous I can’t believe anyone in the gov’t actually signed off on this."

Another person added, "Hey, NY. Your Mayor is laughing at you."

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