Saritha Komatireddy, the Republican candidate for New York attorney general, says she would crack down on organized retail theft and end the widespread practice of locking merchandise behind plexiglass.
Komatireddy, 41, pointed to a familiar frustration for New Yorkers: having to track down an employee at stores such as CVS and Walgreens to unlock a case before purchasing everyday items.
She argued that retailers began securing products after thieves took advantage of what she described as New York City’s permissive approach to crime, allowing stores to be repeatedly looted with few consequences.
Komatireddy is seeking to unseat Democratic incumbent Letitia James in the November 3 election.
The Republican also criticized Democratic Socialist Emily Gallagher, who has argued that shoplifters should not be aggressively pursued for taking basic goods such as toothpaste and soap.
A former federal prosecutor, Komatireddy highlighted footage of Gallagher telling a crowd that “no one should be arrested – much less jailed” for stealing toothpaste. Gallagher has also described such offenses as “crimes of poverty.”
Komatireddy rejected the argument that most retail theft is driven by personal necessity, saying organized criminal groups are instead targeting stores to generate profit.
“Organized crews enter stores, clear products from the shelves and hand them off to middlemen known as fences,” Komatireddy said in a campaign video.
Saritha Komatireddy, 41, the Republican candidate for New York attorney general, says tougher action against organized thieves is needed to stop retailers from locking up merchandise
Komatireddy criticized Democratic Socialist Emily Gallagher (pictured with NYC Mayor Zorhan Mamdani), who has argued against harsh penalties for stealing essentials such as toothpaste and soap
Gallagher said people have a “biological need” for products such as toothpaste after drugstores facing persistent shoplifting began placing them in locked plastic cases
“Those products are then sold on the street or online. Steal it here. Sell it there. Move it there. Sell it anywhere. This isn’t survival, it’s a business model.”
The attorney general candidate also claimed law enforcement agencies have identified thieves traveling from as far away as Detroit to strip store shelves in New York before returning home.
“New York isn’t failing to stop crime. We’re attracting it,” Komatireddy said.
She maintained that retail theft is far from victimless and has been fueled by a system that, in her view, refuses to consistently treat it as a serious crime.
Her position stands in direct opposition to Gallagher’s approach to criminal justice. Gallagher represents New York City Council District 50.
Gallagher, whose district includes the affluent Brooklyn neighborhoods of Williamsburg and Greenpoint, has urged progressives to “hold the line” on criminal justice reforms already enacted.
She has argued that those measures are being “threatened by right-wing media looking to fearmonger.”
Despite the political dispute, NYPD CompStat data shows that retail theft in New York City has declined 12.8 percent so far this year compared with the same period in 2025.
Komatireddy rejected the socialist claim that thieves are stealing out of necessity, arguing that organized gangs are actually stealing to make a profit
Gallagher suggested that ‘no one should be arrested – much less jailed’ for stealing toothpaste and saying in a speech that such thefts were just ‘crimes of poverty’
The Republican is hoping to upset incumbent Letitia James, a Democrat, in the November 3 election
Komatireddy is the Harvard-educated daughter of Indian immigrants who pursued law after the 9/11 attacks.
As an attorney, she prosecuted leaders in Al Qaeda, ISIS and Mexican drug cartels.
She also served as chief of staff at the Drug Enforcement Administration and is now a partner at Holtzman Vogel, a law firm, and teaches at Columbia Law School.
A live prediction tracker by City & State shows James with an overwhelming 91 percent support among voters, compared with just nine percent for Komatireddy.
