Skoufis unveils newly enacted anti-retail theft measures

The state has enacted a number of anti-retail theft measures in the recently adopted budget and they are aimed at reducing the rising instances of shoplifting.

Senator James Skoufis outlined those measures while at the Galleria at Crystal Run in the Town of Wallkill on Friday.

“We at state government have to make sure that law enforcement are provided the tools to make sure that establishments like the Galleria mall can be kept safe and the individuals who look to undermine that safety are held accountable. And the state budget this year, I am glad to say, did just that,” he said.

Town Police Chief Robert Hertman said organized theft in Wallkill has risen 46 percent year over year and the town could use all tools available to it to lower that number.

Among the changes in the law is increasing the penalty for assaulting an employee during retail theft from one year in jail to up to four years in prison. A district attorney can now aggregate the total value of thefts committed by the same person at different stores, and businesses are eligible for tax credits for increased security like cameras to deter retail theft.

The changes in the law have been endorsed by Melissa O’Connor, president of the Retail Council of New York State.