New York City is grappling with a multifaceted crisis that includes a significant increase in shoplifting rates, a burgeoning shadow resale economy involving digital marketplaces and neighborhood bodegas, and challenges in the rollout of legal cannabis. Council Members Justin Brannan and Lincoln Restler have expressed concerns over the financial strain on NYC's budget due to cost-shifts from the State, amounting to approximately $22 billion over the past decade. The shoplifting epidemic, with rates soaring by 64% between June 2019 and June 2023 according to the Council on Criminal Justice, has resulted in a $4.4 billion loss in the last year alone, as highlighted by Governor Kathy Hochul. This illicit activity has fostered an underground economy, with stolen goods being sold on platforms like eBay and Facebook Marketplace, and pawn shops serving as storage, as reported by The New York Post. Additionally, the city's cannabis program faces scrutiny, with Hochul announcing over 100 new licenses amidst a review of the troubled initiative, described as a 'disaster'. The situation has prompted calls for legislative action, including a proposal led by @galeabrewer to increase the SNAP minimum benefit from $23 to $100 to address food insecurity, supported by 26 NYC Council Members and addressed to NYS legislative leadership and Hochul.
How the New York City metro area's slow legal weed rollout created a boom in 'gray' market cannabis shops https://t.co/IdYXJQMmNm
New York's Lax Laws Have Spawned a Billion-Dollar Shoplifting Industry https://t.co/7mkrtpa3nH
New York’s Shoplifting Epidemic Creating Shadow ‘Resale Economy’ as Businesses Lose Billions via @gatewaypundit https://t.co/VPfwSyhTPS
New York's rollout of marijuana legalization has been a "disaster," as Hochul conceded. https://t.co/YumdRb58Ci
In the midst of a top-to-bottom review of New York state's troubled cannabis program, Gov. Kathy Hochul announces the awarding of over 100 new licenses. @MKramerTV reports. https://t.co/EodoDUxlZa
Thieves, alongside their intermediaries, are using prominent resale platforms such as eBay and Facebook Marketplace to unload their stolen merchandise, while surreptitious pawn shops serve as storage hubs for the ill-gotten goods. https://t.co/YmYzPHaQi4
NEW: 26 NYC Council Members sent a letter led by @galeabrewer to NYS legislative leadership & @GovKathyHochul calling for an increase in the SNAP minimum benefit. With food insecurity on the rise in NYC and across NYS, we must take action & increase it from $23 to $100. TY CMs! https://t.co/5R7uOTfTid
Retail owners and law enforcement insiders have voiced their concerns to The New York Post, shedding light on the intricate underground networks that fuel this illicit economy. https://t.co/YmYzPHaQi4
Last year alone, the state's losses were pegged at $4.4 billion — a figure that New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul highlighted in a February address. https://t.co/YmYzPHaQi4
The statistics are alarming: Shoplifting rates in New York City have skyrocketed 64% between June 2019 and June 2023, reports the Council on Criminal Justice. https://t.co/YmYzPHaQi4
The growing crisis transcends the act of petty theft, spiraling into a vast shadow re-sale economy that stretches from digital marketplaces to the corners of neighborhood bodegas. https://t.co/YmYzPHaQi4
CM @LincolnRestler and I sent a letter to Albany detailing our concerns with the amount of $$ NYC has been sending upstate. Cuts and cost-shifts from the State have increased the burden on the NYC budget by ~$22 billion over the past decade. https://t.co/K8k3ryB2nH https://t.co/5aqHMuxXP0