A Brooklyn lawmaker just told New Yorkers that swiping soap from CVS is basically a human right.
Democratic Socialist Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher stood outside Manhattan Criminal Court and according to reports declared that people who walk out of stores with toothpaste and hygiene products are simply fulfilling a "biological need." She argued that locking them up for theft amounts to protecting billion dollar corporations over struggling citizens. Yes, she actually said that.
Gallagher made the jaw dropping comments at a press event alongside Court Watch NYC and other progressive activists. The group claimed they observed 360 arraignments over four days and discovered more than half were misdemeanor cases. That was apparently all the ammunition Gallagher needed to go full send.
"The true crime is that there is such incredible wealth disparity in this city that there are people who can be thrown in jail simply for having a biological need," she proclaimed. She also called on socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani to make good on his campaign pledge to ditch "broken windows" style policing that targets offenses like fare evasion and graffiti.
Meanwhile, in the real world, New York retailers keep locking more and more products behind plastic shields and glass cases because shoplifting consequences have been gutted by progressive policy. Under current state law, first time shoplifters typically dodge any jail time. But according to Gallagher, the stores defending their own merchandise are the villains here.
Regular New Yorkers were not having it. Rev. Susan Webb, 68, shopping at a Bronx supermarket, called the idea "foolish" and flatly stated that stealing is a crime, period. She suggested Mamdani could offer free necessities at city run grocery stores if he truly wanted to help people.
Jeanette Mack, a 49 year old single mother and academic adviser, called the whole thing "ridiculous." She pointed out that she once held four jobs simultaneously and never once considered stealing. Her bigger fear? Stores closing down because of unchecked theft. She noted that a Rite Aid near her already shut its doors, and losing the local supermarket would force her to drive further, burning gas money she can barely afford.
Supermarket manager Edwin Pichado, 33, laid out the brutal math. Rent is sky high, workers need paychecks, utilities keep climbing, and when merchandise walks out the door without payment, the business simply cannot survive. "If they see that you do nothing, they'll keep coming back. They tell their friends, and it becomes a free for all," he warned.
NYPD data through August 9 actually showed retail theft declining 14.7 percent and petit larceny dropping 5.4 percent compared to the same stretch last year. Critics argue those gains are fragile when elected officials keep broadcasting that enforcement is optional.
Republican Councilwoman Vickie Paladino of Queens accused Gallagher of deliberately trying to destroy retail businesses, calling her a communist who weaponizes crime as social justice. She predicted government run drugstores would soon be pitched as replacements for the shops chased out of neighborhoods.
Former Queens Councilman Robert Holden, a moderate Democrat, kept his review short and brutal, calling Gallagher "a major dope." Republican Councilwoman Joann Ariola warned that these policies are precisely what is driving businesses out of the city.
So there you have it. One lawmaker thinks stealing soap is a protected act of survival. Meanwhile, every store owner and shopper in her city is left wondering who exactly is looking out for them.
Like what you see? Then sign up for our Free Newsletter
Last edited by a moderator:
