Adams announced Wednesday that his plan to combat the harassment of retail workers by shoplifters will include installing food stamp kiosks and conflict resolution training.

The report “Combatting Retail Theft” states that there was an increase of 77% in retail theft complaints in New York City from 2018 to 2022. Adams revealed his plan on Wednesday at a news conference. He plans to combat the rise in shoplifting through a softer approach to shoplifters, as well as the implementation of food stamp kiosks.

In the publication, there are recommendations for intervention programs that allow first-time offenders to avoid prosecution. It also allows habitual offenders the opportunity to perform community service instead of prison time. It also recommends that kiosks in stores be installed to allow shoplifters to access food stamps and mental health treatment. It also offers mental health services to retail workers who have been attacked and conflict resolution training in order to prevent future attacks.

According to FBI , 28% active shooter incidents occurred in retail stores last year. Adams’ report, which was recently published, calls for Employer Support Programs to help address this problem by teaching employees how to de-escalate situations and providing mental health services after an incident.

A group of over 4,000 local grocery stores, Collective Action to Protect our Stores, ( CAPS), has lobbied New York City Council to hold habitualshoplifters accountable and to punish those who assault retail workers. Adams’ plan doesn’t include any recommendations from CAPS.

Adams said this during the Press Conference on Wednesday. This plan will allow us to invest in diversionary programs and underlying factors that lead to retail theft. It also works upstream in order to prevent some factors before a crime occurs. Retail workers are trained in de-escalation techniques and security best practices.

According to a analysis conducted by John Jay College, incidents of petty theft in New York City involving items costing less than $1,000 at major commercial retailers increased by 53% from 2019 to 2022. Thefts at drug stores increased 105% and thefts in chain stores by 91% between 2019 and 2022, according to an analysis by John Jay College.

The New York Post quoted New York State Assemblyman Michael Tannousis as saying: “Any plan the mayor comes up with, however well-intentioned it may be, will be at a disadvantage, because our judges don’t have the discretionary power to detain or set bail for someone who commits such crimes repeatedly.”

Michael Lipetri, NYPD’s chief of Crime Control Strategies and the NYPD’s Chief of Crime Control Strategies said that 70% of those arrested this year for Shoplifting had been arrested before for shoplifting. He said that some individuals have been arrested more than 30 times this year for targeting the same stores.