The trade group that serves the neighborhood, the 34th Street Partnership, has partnered with a security firm that provides dog units in response to the numerous complaints about theft.
According to Kevin Ward, the Vice President of security for the 34th Street Partnership, drugstores have been particularly susceptible to shoplifting, and the program aims to address this issue. Ward, a retired police officer who served as chief of staff to former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton, explained that the initiative was a necessary investment to deter crime, given the surge of complaints and lax enforcement due to the state's soft-on-crime laws.
February 24, 2023
The K-9 units are led by handlers and stationed in the vestibule of the CVS at Eighth Avenue and West 34th Street and outside, working in shifts. The dogs, which include a Czechoslovakian Shepherd, a Belgian Malinois, and a primary German Shepherd, are trained to detect potential theft. The partnership notes that the program has been effective in preventing shoplifting incidents simply by having the dogs and guards stationed in the vestibule and outside the store.
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Initial reports from Feb. 15-19 reveal that the K-9 unit prevented at least 25 thefts and deterred others. The trade group has provided examples of the program's effectiveness, including stopping a homeless man who tried to leave the store with unpaid items, two known serial shoplifters who left after seeing the K-9 and guard, and a man who attempted to leave the store without paying for items but returned them after being approached by the guard and K-9.
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The District has seen a surge in shoplifting complaints, with the most recent available NYPD data showing a nearly 60% increase in the Midtown South Precinct that encompasses the 34th Street Business District. Retail thefts that turned violent more than doubled, and high-end retail thefts valued at over $1,000 also surged. The District is not alone in facing this issue, with retail theft surging to more than 63,000 complaints citywide last year.
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As a response, more business districts, including Fordham Road in the Bronx, are launching or increasing private patrols to help curb the shoplifting epidemic. Ward notes that there is a correlation between staffing and the overall increase in crime in the District, calling for a dedicated foot patrol in Penn Station similar to Times Square.
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This comes as no surprise considering police staffing in the city has been declining. Midtown South had 249 officers working last year, while 382 worked in that area in 1994. Brooklyn’s 75th precinct, known as the busiest precinct of all, had 342 officers compared to a similar number of 344 back in 1994.
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