The New York Police Department has seen a 75% spike in commercial burglaries since the city was put under a state of emergency in March amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Police recorded 254 burglaries of commercial business across the board between March 12-31, up from 145 from the same time period last year. Burglaries of only bodegas and supermarkets increased by 400% during the same time period when compared to last year.
“We knew with the closing of many stores that we could see an increase and, unfortunately, we are,” NYPD Chief of Crime Control Strategies Michael LiPetri told the Wall Street Journal.
LiPetri said thieves are taking money, electronics, alcohol, and food during the heists. Some retail stores in the city have boarded their windows to prevent break-ins, including makeup chain Sephora.
“Our goal is to ensure a great experience for our clients when we have the opportunity to reopen,” the company said in a statement.
As burglaries increase, major crimes, including rape and murder, have fallen nearly 20% since the coronavirus outbreak, the Wall Street Journal noted.
The city faces more than 63,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and over 1,900 deaths, according to city data released this weekend.
