Democrats are banking on solutions for shoplifting, a type of crime plaguing cities and growing in popularity, as a way to take away the Republicans’ winning platform on public safety and criminal justice this election season.
Retail theft is gradually becoming a serious problem in many Democratic-run areas, particularly in California , New York , and Washington, D.C. , to name a few. Democratic leaders, who have struggled to run a platform on curbing crime while working toward comprehensive criminal justice reform, believe a solution to retail theft could be the key to rallying voters in the 2024 election.
In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) is looking to toughen up criminal penalties for shoplifting and to allocate additional funding for preventive measures in her $233 billion budget. The governor is looking to create new police teams focused on the matter, as well as offering a tax credit for businesses to help bolster their security systems.
“I think this is really smart politics from the governor,” Democratic consultant Alyssa Cass said in an interview with Politico. “It’s taking away a big talking point for Republicans. They talk about this retail stuff all the time.”