Black Friday, once synonymous with holiday shopping excitement, has now become a prime day for retail theft, according to a former NYPD robbery squad detective. Describing this surge as the “Super Bowl” for shoplifters, he points out that theft during this period has evolved into a lucrative “multibillion-dollar business.”
In an eye-opening report from the National Retail Federation, retail theft has skyrocketed, with a staggering 93% increase in incidents in 2023 compared to 2019. The report also highlights a 90% rise in financial losses due to shoplifting. As millions of Americans prepare to shop between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, the threat looms large.
Patrick Brosnan, a former NYPD detective, shared insights with Fox News Digital, noting that what used to be dismissed as “petty shoplifting” has transformed into something far more complex and organized.
Brosnan emphasized that organized retail theft has become an exceptionally profitable venture, expanding at a rate that law enforcement struggles to keep up with.
Highlighting the severity of the situation, a recent incident in California saw a jewelry store fall victim to a smash-and-grab robbery, illustrating the boldness of these criminal operations.
“In today’s landscape, we’re not talking about teenagers swiping T-shirts anymore,” Brosnan explained. “These are professional theft rings that cross state lines, leveraging sophisticated online marketplaces to resell stolen goods. It’s a highly organized, incredibly profitable enterprise that operates on a massive scale.”
Law enforcement agencies across America often increase patrols on Black Friday in an effort to deter theft, including those in some of the nation’s biggest cities, like Nashville, San Francisco, Los Angeles and many more.
Brosnan compared Black Friday for shoplifters to one of the nation’s biggest sporting events as millions of Americans enter storefronts.
Three alleged shoplifters were taken into custody in Seal Beach recently – with one of them surprised about a new California law. (Seal Beach Police Department)
“Black Friday is their Super Bowl, right? Stores are crowded, you got to understand, very easy to blend in. And unlike most times, the high value goods are out. Staff is stretched and traffic, because there’s so much traffic, it camouflages the escape routes,” he said. “Law enforcement really has very significant hurdles to overcome. It’s not just a regular day.”
The former NYPD detective, who founded Brosnan Risk Consultants and has advised major retailers, said he’s urged clients to lock down “high-value” merchandise, such as electronics, fragrances and designer goods. He added that stores should also consider placing their tools in locked cases.
Video captured three alleged shoplifters taken into custody in Seal Beach recently after a multi-store crime spree. (Seal Beach Police Department)
While Brosnan says retailers are doing “everything they can” to mitigate theft, it’s a “bad situation” that’s “only getting worse.”
“You want to do business, people got to come in. And if bad people come in with the good people, there’s only so much you could do,” he said. “I gotta tell you, [shoplifters] come in, they come like gangbusters, so coordinated, so focused, so knowledgeable as a fact where the items are that they need to get and how they are going to get them, what they have to do to obtain them.”
