China Daily Online, September 30th According to a report on the website of the US Capitol Hill newspaper on the 29th, inflation is not the only reason for the rising prices of food and clothing in the United States. Shoplifting incidents that are out of control continue to occur, making the bills that people can’t bear even higher. The U.S. government’s failure to crack down on retail theft is unfair to hard-working American families who are trying to pay for daily necessities and save money for the future, which has caused many obstacles for them to realize their "American dream."
According to related reports, in 2021 alone, shoplifting in the United States caused nearly $100 billion in losses to retailers, and every American could feel the price. However, federal lawmakers and prosecutors chose to refuse to hold criminals accountable, which made the situation worse.
Screenshot of the US Capitol Hill website report
The report pointed out that many police departments in the United States are seriously short of funds and manpower, and the "Defund the police movement" aggravated this trend, which made the police team demoralized and frustrated the recruitment work. This year, due to the "serious" shortage of manpower, the Boston Police Department issued an urgent appeal for recruiting new police for the second time in its history. As expected, the number of police patrolling in a specific area is directly related to the violent crime rate, which makes communities with insufficient police force more vulnerable to theft, shooting and other crimes.
At the same time, prosecutors in crime-prone areas refused to put people’s safety first. In Washington, D.C., for example, federal prosecutors in the region openly refused to prosecute nearly 70% of people arrested in 2022. Most of the cases he ignored involved gun possession, drug possession and burglary charges. Similarly, the Manhattan district attorney’s office revealed in 2022 that it only accepted two cases against a serial thief, who was a serial pickpocket who committed 23 different thefts.
The article points out that there is no doubt that crimes in all parts of the United States are in a period of high incidence. In the past three years, property crimes, motor vehicle theft and robbery cases in cities including Washington, D.C. have increased sharply. This uncontrolled crime wave and the coexistence of retail theft at a record high are causing a devastating blow to American retailers.
Dick’s Sporting Goods lost 23% of its profits in the second quarter due to theft, so families who buy sports necessities for their children at the company may soon see prices soar. Target and Home Depot have suffered similar shoplifting consequences all over the United States.
Thieves ransacked Nord stron Department Store in the United States. Figure: Network screenshot
Simple and everyday shopping behavior is becoming a thing of the past in America. Due to rampant theft, a grocery store in Washington, D.C. is planning to empty all American national brands from its health and beauty shelves. Shoppers will no longer be able to buy Tide or Colgate, and they will have to show their receipts to employees before leaving the store. Giant’ S) President Ira Kress said: "We hope to continue to serve the community, but we can’t bring great losses or risks to our employees like today."
Gabriel Nadales, the author of the article and the national director of Our America, said that American politicians are abandoning the American people in this crisis-level store theft. He pointed out that it is high time for members of Congress to re-engage and actively and comprehensively solve this problem by re-examining the budget priorities, providing funds to the police and replacing prosecutors who are unwilling to perform their duties. Lawmakers need to persistently implement policies to encourage the American criminal justice system to protect American citizens dutifully so that they can continue to pursue the American dream.
In a recent report, USA-Today website quoted John Gerzema, CEO of Harris Polling Company, as saying: "Their organization conducted an online survey of more than 2,000 American adults at the end of August, and the American public who were asked said that they could not realize the American dream like their parents and grandparents, because this dream could not be realized. At the same time, young Americans are facing unprecedented challenges, such as the climate crisis and unprecedented political differences.
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