Opinion: Albany must step up for essential retail workers

By now we’ve all seen the videos. Retail workers going about their day being attacked for confronting shoplifters or being assaulted in their stores. The horrific videos and stories have become all too common. Instead of turning a blind eye to the plight of these workers, my colleagues in state government must act to pass a package of bills designed to protect and empower retail workers called the Essential Retail Worker Protection Acts. 

The statistics around retail theft are alarming. In 2022, New York City registered 63,000 shoplifting complaints, which was up from 41,000 the year before. In total, every borough saw a substantial increase in shoplifting in 2022 - including petty larceny, grand larceny, and robbery when there's use of force. In my home borough of Staten Island, burglary, grand larceny and petit larceny are all up too.

Today, those essential workers need help and they need it now. That is where the Legislature in Albany comes in. Today, a package of bills called the Essential Retail Worker Protection Acts sits before my colleagues in the Legislature.