First, it was homicides. Then, it was carjackings. And now, it is shoplifting. Philadelphia is an absolute mess. The city’s government has been a complete disaster in protecting its law-abiding citizens and business owners from those who repeatedly cause harm. And, once again, much of the blame belongs to the city’s radical, left-wing, Gorge Soros-funded, ineffective District Attorney Larry Krasner.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the city overhauled how it prosecutes retail theft cases after Krasner was elected. Instead of holding all criminals accountable, the district attorney’s office shifted to prioritizing criminals’ welfare over the innocent.
According to the Inquirer, one of the reasons for this change was to “reduce pretrial jailings and unclog the courts.” But while it accomplished this goal, it also led to a monumental increase in retail shoplifting.
It’s common knowledge that more criminals on the streets equal more crimes committed. However, Krasner purposely ignored this wisdom to pursue left-wing ideological agendas — ideas that sacrifice the welfare of innocent people in favor of criminals. As a result, retail theft has spiraled out of control in the city — just like homicides and carjackings.
Consider the discrepancy between the arrests and charges for retail theft compared to the number of incidents. Between 2017 and 2021, the number of reported retail theft incidents in Philadelphia increased by 21%. However, during that same period, the Inquirer reported arrests and charges for retail theft dropped by nearly 70%. It’s a devastating shift for Philadelphia retail owners and stems from the district attorney not doing his job.
Some of the victims of this crime wave spoke to the Inquirer about their frustrations. It’s heartbreaking to realize that city officials caused their plight, and there is nothing they can do about it.
At a CVS in Philadelphia’s Center City section, one of the employees lamented the steady stream of criminals. She called the theft “constant and frustrating.”
“All we can do is watch. The policy is you can’t touch them,” the employee told the Inquirer. “They come in with bags, fill the bags. They leave. The same people come in, day in and day out.”
“People are coming in and stealing things like there’s no tomorrow,” said an owner of a 7-Eleven in South Philadelphia. “The district attorney says unless it is over $500, it’s not shoplifting. My God.”
One of Krasner’s horrific policy changes was instructing prosecutors to seek less jail time for shoplifting. Additionally, unless the items stolen are over $500, any retail theft is to be considered only a summary offense. Such foolish policies empower criminals to act, knowing little, if any, action will be taken. And knowing that they can steal $499 worth of merchandise without consequence does little to prevent retail theft.
This dystopia happens when those in power prioritize criminals over people. It’s disgraceful and not anything someone should support. Endangering business owners and threatening their financial well-being should not be part of any party’s political platform. Sadly, it is for Democrats. And just like every other crime Democrats don’t want to prosecute, whether it is retail theft, carjackings, or homicides, it’s the people that suffer, not the politicians. Left-wing, Democratic Soros acolytes like Krasner continue to facilitate the decay of Philadelphia.
