Today on The Long View we talk retail theft. Smash and grab cases have been in the headlines in Hawaiʻi and on the mainland. Contributing editor Neal Milner joined us to talk about the real crime stats.
Is there an increase in retail theft shoplifting? Except for a few cities, the answer is no. It's even slightly less in most places. But that's not what people commonly believe.
Further reading:
- "Shoplifting Trends: What You Need to Know" by the Council on Criminal Justice
- "Retail theft in US cities: Separating fact from fiction" by The Brookings Institution
- "Is Shoplifting Really Surging?" by The New York Times
This story aired on The Conversation on March 20, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
