AMAC Exclusive – By Andrew Shirley
The nationwide crime spike, particularly robberies and retail theft, is accelerating at an alarming rate. A decades-old law enforcement strategy that helped clean up crime in New York City in the 90s might hold the answer to alleviating the problem – if only far-left city governments are willing to try it.
According to statistics released by the National Retail Federation this month, retail theft cost the industry over $100 billion in 2022. This is more than double the levels seen pre-pandemic, and the trend looks to be getting worse in 2023.
Many major retailers in urban areas throughout the country have been forced to close locations and lay off thousands of employees due to threats to public safety caused by the retail theft spree. In downtown San Francisco, AT&T, Banana Republic, First Republic, Starbucks, Target, and Nordstrom have all closed stores due to public safety concerns. Just this week, Target announced the closure of three stores in Portland, citing shoplifting and theft.
But the shoplifting epidemic sweeping the country isn’t simply lone actors subtly stealing a few items – it’s brazen, organized retail theft. In countless videos posted online, Americans have watched with shock and horror as a sometimes dozens of individuals in masks swarm a store and indiscriminately steal as many items as possible.
These bands of thieves usually take the items they’ve stolen to a “fencer” who sells them on online marketplaces like Facebook, Craigslist, or eBay.
Most of these retail theft gangs operate in cities with far-left district attorneys – many of them backed by liberal billionaire George Soros – who have virtually stopped prosecuting “minor” crimes like shoplifting. DAs like Los Angeles’s George Gascon have implemented policies that allow anyone under 18 to avoid any jail time at all for robbery, burglary, arson, and a host of other “minor” crimes.
Former San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, who was recalled last year, went even further and supported a new city initiative that mandates any thefts of merchandise valued at less than $950 be charged as a misdemeanor rather than a felony.
Even with the predictable spike in crime, however, liberal DAs and lawmakers have continued to double down. In October, Los Angeles implemented a zero cash bail policy for most crimes. As a result, if a criminal is arrested for robbery, they are immediately released – meaning it’s essentially impossible to keep repeat offenders off the street.
The scale of the country’s retail theft problem is reflective of a legal system in big cities that simply doesn’t care about punishing offenders. Criminals know that they won’t face any consequences for stealing. Similarly, people who might otherwise have been dissuaded from robbing stores due to the threat of jail time are now encouraged to join in the lawbreaking.
To address the problem, many conservatives have suggested resorting to the principles of the “broken windows” approach to law enforcement.
The broken windows theory holds that if a neighborhood shows signs of neglect and decay, like broken windows that are not promptly replaced, then such disrepair sends a powerful signal of indifference by the authorities to growing public disorder. The result is a gradual increase in the severity of offenses as the criminal element in society is no longer deterred, but increasingly emboldened to try to get away with almost anything.
Conversely, by quickly addressing signs of public decay like repairing broken windows or removing graffiti from public spaces, as well as holding people accountable for petty crimes, law enforcement can create a climate of public safety and security, and criminals are deterred from committing crimes.
The massive reduction in crime that was achieved by then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani in New York City in the 1990s is attributed to successfully implementing policing strategies based on the broken windows theory. Democrats, predictably, have opposed the broken windows approach as “racist.”
But as the New York Post Editorial Board put it in a call earlier this year for the city to re-embrace the concept, “Broken Windows policing sends a vital message that there are consequences for even small crimes, so don’t even think about bigger ones. It also improves local quality of life, by cracking down on litterers, vandalizers, trespassers, shoplifters and others.”
They also noted, “Nearly half of city fare-evaders arrested this year had open warrants for other crimes, including at least one murder.” New York subway platforms are notorious for stabbings and other violent attacks.
Despite the clear failure of their strategy of “reimagining” (defunding) policing and not punishing criminals in the name of “equity,” however, Democrat-run city governments seem determined to plow forward anyway. It will likely take a serious change in leadership to return to the broken windows model or any method with a hope of solving the country’s crime crisis.
Andrew Shirley is a veteran speechwriter and AMAC Newsline columnist. His commentary can be found on X at @AA_Shirley.
To answer the question posed by the title of this article, of course re-embracing broken windows policing would substantially reduce the elevated crime rates we have experienced since the so-called 2020 “Summer of Love” riots the Democrats supported and encouraged across the country. When NYC embraced the concept under Giuliani and Kerik, crime rates dropped substantially and stayed that way until the city foolishly put a Democrat, Bill de Blasio, back in charge after Michael Bloomberg. In de Blasio’s first term, he did away with most of the reforms that made NYC a much safer place. By the time de Blasio left office, the city was right back to where it was under David Dinkins with escalating crime.
Rolling back all the relaxation of prosecutions for a whole slew of crimes, that have essentially turned a lot of Democrat city’s downtowns into open air criminal paradises would also help. Along with reversing the whole defund the police movement, which essentially destroyed the morale of law enforcement to do their jobs without the constant fear of being fired or sent to prison for simply doing their jobs. However, none of these changes are likely to make a comeback until the people of the cities and states most heavily impacted by their poor decisions in the voting booths realize the error they made. As long as people continue to vote for Socialists (America’s Democrat party), who issue empty promises of Utopia and something for “free” (it’s not actually free) just being right around the next corner after the election, nothing will change. The election of Eric Adams, yet another clueless, self-centered and completely incompetent Democrat, in NYC as Mayor proves that point. The same tale is played out all across the country in Democrat run cities and states.
Democrats may talk about the need the law and order, but their actions always say they support the criminal element and the resulting chaos and fear that results. It helps to distract the public from the other priorities that the Socialists are doing behind the scenes. Such as self-enrichment, insider deals and just using the office as steppingstone to higher office down the line. What this article’s author and many others that write pieces like this appear here are actually asking for, whether they realize it or not, is for a better, more intelligent and rational voter base that makes saner and more rational decisions in the voting booth. That doesn’t seem to be something that is on the near-term horizon. Instead, when one failed Democrat is term-limited out, he or she is usually replaced by yet another Democrat, who espouses the same lies and BS that the Democrat voter base just laps up.
Dem strategies are NOT failures. They’re achieving their goals of reducing this country to a shadow of its former self. Their apparently nonsensical policies are deliberately implemented. Rank and file bleeding hearts may believe its all based on compassion, but dem policy makers know its about destruction. They’re razing the intellectual structures that built this country in order to construct a socialist dystopia that they will rule like gods. Its no secret that top dems admire stalin and mao.
Applying law and order would fix broken windows and much more
Add prosecuting left wing marxist prosecutors who fail to uphold the laws as well as elected officials who decriminalize these acts.
Our country’s decline is directly tied into lowering standards which started 60 years ago and it is not just law enforcement. We have lowered standards in education, employment, neighborhoods, religion and morals and look at the results. Lowering standards to help a few ends up harming everyone.
Should a business owner fix the broken window every day as it will be broken every night? Who can afford that? Where do they think they can find that window size every day? I have a better idea, put up chicken wire and electrify it, problem will solve itself.
Democrats call everything racist. It’s a plot to divide the country by those who want socialism/communism. Nothing will change until the people start casting votes for what has proven to work, regardless of party (Yes, there are common sense democrats, but don’t ask me to name one, lol).
How can anyone with common sense not see that our present form of Government is a Socialist, Marxist, Communist Dictatorship !!! Mandatory mask mandates, shots, first and second amendments violations, Critical Race Theory, Woke Company’s, freedom of religion violations, defund the police, promoting crime for the destruction of common order, the Vice President posting bail for the few jailed felons. The billionaires control all news outlets, televisions, newspapers, with billions spent indoctrination the public, AND IT HAS WORKED !! Citizens are voting to even have their own rights taken away !! Then, children are told to change their gender, a five year old girl given a boys name and told to use the boy’s room un-be known to her parents. The mother protested and child welfare services were sent to HER home because of her lack of co-operation. Parents told they have no say in what their child is taught in school !!! A different money system being worked on with total government control of all financial expenditures, making all cash obsolete. Trying to control all health issues, elimination all other health care companies, giving un-employment compensation, making citizens dependent on them. Plans underway to take 401k’s and IRA’S, a new policy to take family assets as an additional death financial tax !! The open border policy so we, as a Nation will be consumed from within ! In 1990, the Supreme Court ruled that the Government did NOT have to give back OUR Social Security, that is why it is threatened by OUR Government when overspending occurs. The Democrats met with the Mexican President in the past, offering them OUR S/S as a form of compensation for the illegal voting which the Democrats sanctioned ! The virus was developed in China, millions funded by Dr. Fauci and intentionally released to control the human population. On and on. All good here.
To fix the moral depravity and complete lawlessness in America VOTE OUT ALL DEMOCRATS!!!!! They are evil, disgusting lawless traitors to working Americans.
It worked once, it could work again. Something must be done.
They do it during disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes; shoot looters. Or maybe I’m just tired of always looking for a Walmart rep to unlock the shaving kits and deodorants?
Funny how ATT closed down stores because of crime considering they support democrats by donating all of their profits from selling of iPhones to Socialist/Communist/Fascist/LOSER WOKE democrats.
Maybe they will become Americans and donate to the Republican Party so they don’t have to close stores and continue to lose money.
Target and the others might want to wake up and try that too.
It’s only a thought. But common sense.
Otherwise, Go WOKE. Go BROKE.
That’s a FACT.
If you destroy civility then government must take over. Every thing democrats do is another step towards total government control.
Paul E. is correct. As long as the stupids keep electing liberal Dems. the thefts will continue. Eventualy there will only be a rag tag of a few stores. Shopping will never be the same. I guess you could call this wealth distribution. Kyle L.
Revive, renew & expand on big time
Go Regional
If you want to stop a majority of the crime, get rid of the leftist policies that created the lawlessness in the first place. Then, get rid of the leftists who enacted those policies!
Criminals’ lack of self respect is the root cause of problems to others, needless to say to him/her self. American society and culture do not look at how those criminals grow up from infancy through childhood at all. Policing is only after the fact. NYC mayor decades ago did a great job accomplishing cleaner/safer city but fundamental cause of crime and distraction come from how the environment a child is growing up. Parent, and parents, family structure and relatives and neighbourhood a child is raised is the biggest problem. When human turned mid teens needs to realise own potential to bear child, what environment he/she wants to provide to a new baby, shoulder own responsibility, choose own way to be a person worthwhile to live.
Idea of gaining self respect, protect own dignity, then contributes to own family, community and society should not be forgotten.
Most of the increase in theft is caused by political factors not inviromental. When you remove the woke policies that tell people they deserve to be taken care of like children for their entire lives only then can you expect them to grow up and live like adults.
Most of the crime is by black people. Racism is an excuse for blacks to commit those crimes. White people, real White people are sick of blacks being given license to be criminals. The psychology behind this is so elementary it doesn’t bear repeating. Good conservative Christians are taught it from an early age. Demoncrats are devoid of the sense it takes to follow this teaching.
I’m in favor of rigorous enforcement of anti-theft laws, and would even favor business owners doing a bit of enforcement on their own if they so choose, but anyone who praises Rudy Giuliani’s tenure as mayor of NYC is praising a thug. Remember “Stop and frisk”? In my view, any cops who engage in this type of harassment deserve to be stopped in their tracks by whatever means prove necessary.
The future of the American Right must be Liberty + Law & Order (which I take to mean: military dominance, a border wall, deportation of illegal trespassers, an end to most or all LEGAL immigration, revived and routinized death penalty, labor-camp prisons for violent offenders, restoration of self-defense rights, aggressive policing, reduction in government and socialism, abolition of the Fed and a return to gold standard, restoration of the Constitution).
No more liberal Wars for Democracy. No more wasting resources on neocon “school choice” or (sadly) unpopular “prolife” efforts (I personally oppose abortion, but how is it actually bad for prolifers, conservatives, Americans, etc, if some welfare queen aborts her 4th low IQ, illegitimate child?). Absolutely no more support for “conservatives” who support “generous immigration” (aka – New Democrat Voter Importation).
America is dying. Patriots need to stop sentimentalizing, pretending, eg, that we can educate so that “No Child is Left behind”, or that tax cuts are going to cause inner cities to become civilized, and get tough.
Yup