The police presence and private security at luxury stores on New York City’s Madison Avenue have recently increased.
According to a report from the New York Post, a recent surge in crime has prompted businesses to lock their doors and dim their lights during business hours.
The 19th precinct of the New York Police Department, which includes Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side, has seen a roughly 47 percent rise in burglaries since last year. From the beginning of the year to April 24, there had been 470 theft reports.
This is @tumitravel store on Madison Avenue this morning. While @NYCMayor may want to entice Floridians to move here – why would anyone when crime is surging and can’t ride @MTA? @ManhattanDA clearly doesn’t care about public safety. @savetheuws pic.twitter.com/zJRQTpjavT
— West Side Community Organization (@westsideco_org) April 4, 2022
“The normal thing now today is to lock our doors on Madison Avenue,” Carolina Herrera sales associate Michelle Singh reported.
Chanel on Madison exclusively accepts appointments, but its SoHo counterpart is accessible to the public. Prada is also said to have locked its doors.
Outside Prada on Friday afternoon, an NYPD patrol car with two cops sat.
Matthew Bauer, president of the Madison Avenue Business Improvement District said, “It’s very much an organized crime model.”
Robbery has surged by 48 percent in the city since last year, with 1,267 theft instances.
A Carolina Herrera store manager, Michael said, “We don’t feel safe, You feel violated when they come in.”
Not too many stores to rip off on Madison Avenue these days.
Why bother with the muggers when Gilt and Saks deliver?
Madison Ave retailers lock doors in daytime amid crime frenzy https://t.co/zrnH4KgwWT via @nypmetro
— NYCNews (@NYCNews18) April 30, 2022
According to the NY post:
The shoplifters, who often go un-prosecuted under soft-on-crime Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, are “just the tip of the iceberg” and “following orders” for a much larger crime syndicate, Bauer said.
“These gangs are more aggressive and violent than in years past,” the National Retail Federation reported in its 2021 security survey, noting that 69 percent of outlets witnessed an increase in organized retail crime over the past year.
Bauer’s organization teamed up with other Midtown BIDs this month to demand action from Gov. Hochul against the staggering crime spree that is tarnishing New York City’s rep for luxury shopping.
The 19th Precinct, which includes much of the Upper East Side, reports a dramatic 47 percent rise in grand larceny year, with 470 incidents so far in 2022, up from 320 incidents at the same time last year. Petty larceny has also skyrocketed, up nearly 60 percent from 709 incidents in 2021 to 1,129 in 2022.
There has been a shocking rise in theft across the city, with grand larceny up 54 percent and petty larceny up 42 percent, according to NYPD data. Citywide shoplifting complaints have jumped 81 percent in the past year, Chief of Crime Control Strategies Michael LiPetri said in April.
The fallout for shoppers is that a stroll down Madison Avenue has lost much of its luster and spontaneity. Many retailers now encourage, or even require, shoppers to make appointments before they open the doors.
Sources: Westernjournal, Nypost, Christopherfountain