Police agencies coordinate to charge and clear retail crime cases, outstanding warrants for four separate suspects
COLONIE – Local police agencies worked together to collect four retail crime suspects in the past few weeks to charge and arraign them before they are out again. Under State law, agencies cannot hold people charged for most non-violent retail crimes, even if there are multiple incidents. Judges cannot consider bail in many of these cases either, even if the person charged does not show up for court.
“To me, this is like Groundhog’s Day. This is the third press conference regarding retail theft,” Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple said last week at Colonie Center. “We need to get out there and change some of these laws. And I know everybody’s sick of hearing about bail reform and everything else but this goes glove in glove with it.”
Kamel Pickens
Albany Police brought Picken, 33, of Albany, to Colonie police for eight active arrest warrants for retail theft on Saturday, Jan. 27.