Gov. Kathy Hochul says New York is turning a corner in the fight against organized retail theft, with new numbers showing a significant drop statewide.

After a spike in retail theft following the pandemic, Hochul announced Tuesday that incidents are down more than 12% year-over-year in New York City and down 5% across the rest of the state.

To combat the surge, the state has committed more than $40 million for dedicated retail theft teams and deployed an additional 100 state police personnel to combat retail theft.

Hochul says that these measures, along with increased criminal penalties, are restoring confidence for shoppers and business owners.

"Retail theft and quality-of-life crimes impact more than just the businesses who experience them — they impact entire neighborhoods. That is

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