Shoplifting surged whopping 64% in NYC most of any US city in past 4 years: study

Published

2 years ago

November 9, 2023

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New York City has led the US with the sharpest increase in the number of reported shoplifting incidents since before the pandemic, according to a study.

The Big Apple saw a 64% increase in reported incidents of retail theft during the four-year period between mid-2019 and June of this year, while Los Angeles experienced a 61% surge in the same metric, according to the Council on Criminal Justice.

Despite the spike in reported shoplifting incidents, New York City saw an 8% decrease in the first half of 2023, according to the study.

A New York Police Department spokesperson pointed to crime statistics showing that there were more than 93,000 incidents of petty larceny so far this year — which is 29% higher compared to the same period two years ago but 5% lower compared to the same period last year.

LA, meanwhile, saw a 109% increase in reported retail theft incidents in the first six months of this year — the highest in the country, the report found.

Dallas was second with a 73% bump in the number of reported shoplifting incidents in the first half of 2023.

Virginia Beach, Dallas, Raleigh, Boston, and Pittsburgh are the other cities that saw a spike in the number of shoplifting incidents that were reported over the course of the last four years — although their gains were well short of those in New York and LA, the report found.

The analysis was put together using data gleaned from law enforcement agencies or city websites as well as statistics from the National Incident-Based Reporting System.

The analysis, which examined shoplifting data in 24 cities where police publish data on retail theft, found that shoplifting reports were 16% higher — about 8,450 more incidents — during the first half of 2023 compared to the first half of 2019.

With New York excluded from the sample, however, the number of incidents among the study cities was 7% lower — about 2,550 fewer incidents.

A surge in shoplifting has forced retail locations nationwide to train security cameras on product shelves containing socks and men’s underwear while locking up items such as electric toothbrushes and razors in hopes of combating the surge in shoplifting.

The authors of the Council on Criminal Justice study caution that it is unclear what lies behind the trends, though “bail reform is one possible explanation.”

Another factor contributing to the increased reportage of shoplifting incidents is the change in the rate which retailers contact law enforcement.

Shoplifting, especially smash and grab episodes caught on video, has received extensive attention from the media and policymakers, and retailers have cited theft concerns in closing stores and placing goods in locked cases, said CCJ Research Specialist Ernesto Lopez, co-author of the report.

Far better data from law enforcement and the retail industry data is needed to help strengthen our grasp of shoplifting trends. For now, its unclear if the increase is a result of increased shoplifting, increased reporting from businesses to police, or a combination of both.

In 2019, New York State approved sweeping changes aimed at keeping defendants who cant afford bail from being disproportionately jailed.

But those changes have been tweaked twice before amid criticism that judges were being deprived of a tool they could use to hold people likely to commit new crimes.

In April, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that judges will have more discretion to jail people awaiting trial for alleged crimes — a policy change fiercely resisted by some of her fellow Democrats.

A recent report by the National Retail Federation, a trade group representing US retailers, said that chains had lost $112 billion due to a wave of organized theft rings in New York, San Francisco, LA, and Houston last year — up from $93.9 billion in 2021.

Target said earlier this year that it expects to suffer as much as a $1.3 billion hit to its bottom line because of theft and organized crime.”

The latest police statistics show that rates of burglary and grand larceny have fallen so far this year compared to the same period in 2022.

To date, burglary in the five boroughs has fallen 13.2% since the start of the year compared to the same period last year while grand larceny has dropped 3.3%.

Incidents of robbery have also decreased in number, according to the New York Police Department.

Since the start of the year, there have been a reported 14,159 incidents of robbery — down nearly 5% compared to the same period last year.

San Francisco and Seattle saw the two biggest drops in the number of retail theft incidents between January and June of this year, according to the research.

Analysts found there was a 35% decrease in the number of reported shoplifting incidents in the Bay Area, where several high-profile thefts were caught on camera.

Seattle, meanwhile, saw a 31% drop during the same period.

Environment

BYD launches the new low-cost e7 EV in China, starting at under $15,000

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2 hours ago

May 19, 2025

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BYD launches the new low-cost e7 EV in China, starting at under ,000

BYD’s new EV is about the size of a Tesla Model 3, but half the cost in China. After launching the e7, BYD is already boasting that it will be the “winner’s choice” for midsize EV sedans. Here’s our first look at the new low-cost electric sedan.

Will the new BYD e7 EV rival the Tesla Model 3 in China?

After previewing the e7 for the first time a little over a month ago, BYD officially launched the midsize electric sedan on Saturday.

The new e7 is available in three “Smart” trims, starting at 103,800 yuan, or about $14,500. For a limited time, BYD is offering a renewal price of 99,800 yuan ($13,900).

Buyers can choose from two BYD Blade battery options: 48 or 57.8 kWh, providing CLTC driving ranges of 450 and 520 km, respectively.

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BYD’s new midsize EV sedan is about the size of a Tesla Model 3: 4,780 mm long, 1,900 mm wide, 1,515 mm tall, and 2,820 mm wheelbase.

Although it looks similar to other BYD models, the e7 has a few unique design elements, including a “Smiling and high-spirited” front face design, full-score LED headlights, and a duck tail.

We knew it would be a lower-priced EV after the preview showed the e7 with traditional door handles, rather than the flush ones found on newer models.

Like BYD’s other new vehicles, the interior is relatively simple with a 15.6″ central infotainment at the center and a 5″ driver display cluster. It’s also loaded with the advanced version of BYD’s smart cockpit and DiLink100.

The “ingeniously crafted comfortable cockpit,” as BYD calls it, is available with ergonomic cloud-sensing seats, an integrated hand gear, and a panoramic sunroof.

Although the e7 is part of BYD’s e-series, a lower-priced lineup aimed at younger drivers or taxi services, it’s now being absorbed into its Ocean series with other popular EVs like the Dolphin and Seagull.

BYD’s new EV is over half the cost of a base Tesla Model 3 RWD model in China, which starts at 235,500 yuan ($32,700). But, to be fair, the base Model 3 has a CLTC driving range of up to 634 km (394 miles). For 275,500 yuan ($38,200), the Model 3 Long Range AWD is rated with up to 713 km (443 miles) CLTC range.

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Environment

Hyundai is making a comeback in China and this new EV might just seal the deal

Published

3 hours ago

May 19, 2025

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Hyundai is making a comeback in China and this new EV might just seal the deal

Hyundai is gaining traction where most automakers are struggling to stay afloat. Despite a flood of low-cost electric cars and an intensifying price war, Hyundai sees an opportunity “to write a new chapter” with its first dedicated EV rolling out in China.

Will Hyundai’s new EV spark a comeback in China?

Leading up to its debut, we thought it could be the IONIQ 4 with a sleek new look. The ELEXIO is Hyundai’s first custom-tailored EV for China.

During its global debut earlier this month in Shanghai, Hyundai said China is a “must-fight place,” calling it “the core of Hyundai Motor’s global strategy.” The company also revealed its “In China, for China, to the World” strategy as it looks to make a comeback in the world’s largest EV market.

According to Hyundai, the company is already seeing early success. On Monday, Hyundai’s joint venture in China, Beijing Hyundai, announced that its losses improved by over 100 billion won ($72 million) in the first quarter.

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The company posted a net loss of 42.3 billion won in the first three months of 2025, down from the massive 146 billion won ($105 million) in Q1 2024. At this pace, Hyundai could see a profit by the second quarter in China.

Hyundai said lower operating costs spurred the cost improvements after the company sold its Chongqing plant last year.

It’s also due to rising exports. Beijing Hyundai exported 14,999 vehicles in Q1, up significantly from just 608 a year ago. Hyundai’s Chinese JV is investing 8 billion yuan ( $1.1 billion) as it looks to revamp the business.

Although it’s already seeing some success, Hyundai’s new ELEXIO electric SUV is expected to accelerate its momentum. With the EV launching in the second half of 2025, Hyundai could turn a profit by the end of the year. It may even happen as early as the second quarter.

Hyundai claims the new EV opens “a new starting point for the transformation from traditional fuel vehicle giant to electrification” in China.

The ELEXIO electric SUV, dubbed the Chinese version of its popular IONIQ 5, rocks a new look with crystal cube LED headlights and a full-length light bar that stretches across the front.

Based on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform, which powers the IONIQ 5, the ELEXIO is rated with up to 435 miles (700 km) CLTC driving range. More details, including prices and trim options, will be revealed closer to launch. Check back soon for the latest.

What do you think of Hyundai’s new electric SUV? Would you buy the ELEXIO in Europe, the US, or other global markets? Let us know in the comments.

Source: Newsis, Beijing Hyundai

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Environment

Tesla paid Powerwall owners $10 million through virtual power plants

Published

3 hours ago

May 19, 2025

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Tesla paid Powerwall owners million through virtual power plants

Tesla announced it paid Powerwall owners $9.9 million through its virtual power plant programs in 2024.

Distributed energy is working.

A virtual power plant (VPP) consists of distributed energy storage systems, like Tesla Powerwalls, used in concert to provide grid services and avoid the use of polluting and expensive peaker power plants.

Peaker plants are fossil fuel-powered power plants that are activated in peak energy usage times to ensure the grid has enough power to supply the demand and avoid brownouts.

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It is a fairly new technology that aims to decentralize the grid, helping make it more secure and stable while reducing costs.

Tesla has been an early adopter of the technology through the deployment of its Powerwall, a popular home battery pack.

In areas with high penetration of the home battery, Tesla can make a deal with the local electric utility to pull power from the Powerwalls in customer homes when needed, and those homeowners get compensated at an attractive rate.

Today, Tesla announced that it paid Powerwall owners nearly $10 million through VPPs in 2024:

We paid out $9.9M to Powerwall owners who supported the grid through Virtual Power Plant participation in 2024.

Tesla’s first VPP launched in Australia in 2019. The company first aimed for 50,000 homes, but we learned that it is at about 7,000 homes and 35 MW as of the end of last year when Tesla was looking to sell the virtual power plant.

In 2021, Tesla launched a VPP pilot program in California, in which Powerwall owners would voluntarily and without compensation let the VPP pull power from their battery packs when the grid needed it.

It helped Tesla prove the usefulness of such a system.

Following the pilot program, Tesla and PG&E, the electric utility covering Northern California, launched the first official virtual power plant through the Tesla app.

This new version of the Tesla Virtual Power Plant actually compensates Powerwall owners $2 per kWh that they contribute to the grid during emergency load reduction events. Homeowners are expected to get between $10 and $60 per event.

Later, we reported that Tesla’s California VPP expanded to Southern California Edison (SCE) to now cover most of the state.

Last year, Tesla’s California VPPs reached over 100 MW in capacity, and the company also started building significant VPPs in Texas.

Some Powerwall owners are now reporting making hundreds of dollars per year per Powerwall through Tesla’s virtual power plant.

Electrek’s Take

This is awesome. I love distributed energy. VPPs not only make home energy storage more financially viable, but they also often mean that fossil fuel-powered peaker plants are being replaced by solar power and energy storage, as most Powerwalls and other home battery packs are linked to home solar power.

It’s not super popular yet because it requires the cooperation of the electric utilities and the regulators, but it appears to be viable in most places.

If you have home solar and energy storage, or looking to add solar and energy storage at home, it’s worth looking into.

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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online, including with Tesla hardware, like the Powerwall, and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.

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