New York lawmakers are rallying behind a proposal to increase penalties for habitual shoplifting offenders, in response to rising concerns over retail theft that has become a multi-billion dollar issue nationwide.
Lawmakers behind the legislation announced over the weekend that it would target repeat offenders convicted of petty larceny twice within three months or three times a year.
These would be upgraded to fourth-degree grand larceny, a felony.
The proposal comes as New York legislators propose various measures to address shoplifting and violence towards retail workers.
Governor Kathy Hochul currently has a measure before her to create a 15-member task force to examine organized retail theft and evaluate how other states are tackling this problem.
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