Items are displayed in the window of a Burberry store on Michigan Avenue along the Magnificent Mile in Chicago in November. The rate of reported shoplifting incidents in the city surged by 46% from January to October 2024 compared with the same period in 2023, according to a recent report by the Council on Criminal Justice. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
CHICAGO — Shoplifting rates in the three largest U.S. cities — New York, Los Angeles and Chicago — remain higher than they were before the pandemic, according to a report last month from the nonpartisan research group Council on Criminal Justice.
The sharp rise in retail theft in recent years has made shoplifting a hot-button issue, especially for politicians looking to address public safety concerns in their communities.
Since 2020, when viral videos of smash-and-grab robberies flooded social media during the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans have expressed fears that crime is out of control. Polls show that perceptions have improved recently, but a majority of Americans still say crime is worse than in previous years.