STATEWIDE – GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL on Wednesday announced that the New York State Police Organized Retail Theft Task Force has recovered more than $2.6 million in stolen goods statewide since launching new initiatives to curb retail theft in April 2024, resulting in 1,224 arrests. This effort to tackle the pandemic-era surge in thefts has contributed to a 13.6% decrease in retail theft year-over-year in New York City, according to the governor’s office.

Following a post-pandemic spike in retail theft, Hochul invested more than $40 million in District Attorneys’ offices, local law enforcement, and retail theft teams within the State Police. She also advanced new initiatives, including elevating the assault of a retail worker from a misdemeanor to a felony, allowing prosecutors to combine

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