Gov. Kathy Hochul took a victory lap Tuesday, congratulating herself for cracking the code on preventing retail theft: It turns out that arresting shoplifters and prosecuting them actually deters pilfering.

Of course, the gov also credited other measures she got passed as part of this year’s budget — but the grim fact is that retail theft is still far higher than before the state’s 2019 criminal-justice “reforms,” which remain largely intact despite Hochul’s tinkering.

Yes, she made things a bit better this year: By all means, assaulting a retail worker should be a felony — yet assaulting anyone should be, no?

Similarly, it was progress to let prosecutors combine the value of stolen goods when they file felony larceny charges, thereby closing the loophole that let thieves skate

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