Retail theft in New York City has dropped 13.6% year-over-year, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday, as the State Police Organized Retail Theft Task Force recovered more than $2.6 million in stolen goods since expanding operations in April 2024.

Speaking in Downtown Brooklyn on Nov. 19 ahead of the holiday shopping season, Hochul said small businesses continue to feel the effects of years of heightened shoplifting and organized theft. “When I first became governor, there was a spike in retail theft,” Hochul said. “I walked the streets in Brooklyn and Queens and saw firsthand how it was paralyzing for small businesses.”

Last year, Hochul introduced a $40 million package of sweeping measures to combat rising retail theft statewide. The initiative created retail-focused anti-theft teams for po

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