A group of five armed shoplifters has carried out a spree of daring raids on supermarkets across New York City since July, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars of high-value items, and grocers are warning that law enforcement’s response has been insufficient.
The thieves, often wielding knives and working in pairs, have targeted delicatessens, seafood cases and frozen goods—hitting more than 100 stores, according to supermarket owners. One deli owner in Upper Manhattan says the suspects routinely fill backpacks with expensive meats before dashing off in waiting getaway vehicles.
Store managers report calling New York City Police Department (NYPD) at the time of the thefts, only to receive slow response times or see the same individuals repeatedly released after arrests. In several cases employees say they were detained instead of the thieves when attempting to intervene.
With cops unable or unwilling to prosecute persistent offenders, grocers have formed informal WhatsApp networks to warn one another of incoming attacks. A pilot program in one Bronx precinct has reportedly curbed incidents locally, but store owners say it hasn’t been rolled out city-wide.
The crime wave has turned violent at times. One incident last month ended in the death of a 64-year-old supermarket employee during a confrontation tied to a shoplifting attempt. Business owners say the lack of meaningful police follow-through has emboldened the gang and put staff and customers at risk.
The NYPD maintains that retail theft has fallen this year—claiming a drop of about 13%—and says it has stepped up targeted foot patrols, transit monitoring and repeat-offender tracking. However, grocers remain unconvinced: they say the cuts appear superficial when a bold armed crew can rifle through multiple stores in a single week and continue doing so.