Commissioner: burglaries down 17% but retail theft is driving property‑crime surge

The Police Commissioner (speaker 5) told the committee that burglaries are down 17% year‑over‑year but that larcenies and retail theft are driving increases in overall property‑crime figures. "The larcenies are really what's driving the property crime... and where we're seeing is what's driving those numbers is retail theft," he said, adding that some stores have closed because theft makes operations unsustainable.

Council members asked whether added patrols or hot‑spot policing are being used to address the problem; the commissioner said he is working with the administration to revisit policies that previously allowed suspects to be released and that he hopes to adjust approaches to better deter repeat retail theft. Council member Bowman (speaker 7) cited the closure of a Save A Lot on Genesee Street as a local example of the economic impact of retail theft. The committee asked the department for more detailed trend data, including age breakdowns for motor vehicle thefts, which the commissioner said he would provide on request.