The Collective Action to Protect Our Stores, a coalition that advocates for small businesses throughout New York City, is demanding accountability as shoplifting is on the rise.  

There were over 6,000 arrests for retail theft last year, according to the NYPD.  

CAPS says supermarkets, bodegas and grocery stores are being hit hard by those crimes. It argues that those numbers might be higher.  

"We’re seeing a hike in shoplifting, but I also want to highlight that not all the data is there because a lot of these shoplifting scenarios go unreported because we don’t want to call NYPD,” said Nayelly De Jesus of CAPS. “We feel like when we hold the shoplifter at the store, that’s when our employees get assaulted. So, the data is probably three times that."

De Jesus believes legislation protecting business owners and employees would help solve the issue. She says there are currently three new bills on the table that would increase the penalties for shoplifting.

"If we don’t stop the shoplifters, then we become the target of the community, and then we have to close our doors,” she said.