Cheektowaga, N.Y. (WBEN) - While the Western New York community is encouraged to support local shopping centers and small businesses this holiday season, officials are also warning any prospective shoplifters that retail crimes will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Erie County District Attorney John Flynn joined Cheektowaga Police Department Chief Brian Gould and members of the Pyramid Management team at the Walden Galleria mall on Wednesday to further discuss the consequences of retail theft ahead of an expected busy holiday shopping season in the region.
In addition to lost revenue, retail theft undermines the local economy by threatening the viability of stores and shopping centers. In recent years, incidents of organized retail crime and habitual theft throughout the country have become increasingly more brazen and violent, raising safety concerns for businesses, employees, customers, shopping district and law enforcement.
To date, members of the Cheektowaga Police Department have responded to 1,268 shoplifting-related calls throughout their jurisdiction this year, which is higher than the total numerous of calls in the past five years.
Information from the Cheektowaga Police on Shoplifting Police Reports
- 2023 (as of Nov. 15): 1,268
- 2022: 1,230
- 2021: 840
- 2020: 810
- 2019: 871
- 2018: 815
District Attorney Flynn is committed to prosecuting offenders and creating safer spaces for retailers and customers. The announcement held Wednesday at the Walden Galleria was part of Flynn’s ongoing effort to combat organized retail theft, shoplifting and other unlawful activity occurring inside and around stores in Erie County.
Two Assistant District Attorneys in the office’s Special Investigations and Prosecutions (SIP) Bureau serve on the Organized Retail Crime Task Force, a group of local law enforcement and loss prevention employees who meet regularly to investigate thefts and other retail crimes in Erie County.
In September, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office participated in National Store Walk Month, a new initiative by the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) and the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) to address the urgent issue of retail crime and its rippling impact on our communities.
National Store Walk Month connects interested retailers with prosecutors who walk alongside management through stores to share information, foster mutual understanding and collaboratively develop crime mitigation strategies. These in-person discussions aim to provide a better understanding of the challenges while creating a unified response to address and prevent retail crimes.