NY Democrats dropped ball on shoplifting: Bronx pol Jeff Dinowitz

Democrats went easy on shoplifters instead of dealing with the theft epidemic during the 2023 legislative session, one liberal lawmaker who pushed for a crackdown admitted.

“There has to be a broad consensus. Not everyone is interested in creating tougher penalties,” moderate Democrat Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz told The Post.

Another measure would have raised the penalty of assaulting a retail worker from a misdemeanor to a bail-eligible Class D felony assault in the second degree — such as the case with taxi drivers, utility workers and first responders and other essential government workers.

That bill, sponsored by state Sen. Jessica Scarcella Spanton (D-Staten Island/Brooklyn) and state Assemblyman Manny De Los Santos, a Democrat who represents the northern Manhattan neighborhoods of Washington Heights and Inwood, also got blocked.

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