Emily Gallagher Draws Backlash Over 'Biological Need' Shoplifting Claim as NYC Theft Falls 16.3%
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 17
Emily Gallagher Draws Backlash Over 'Biological Need' Shoplifting Claim as NYC Theft Falls 16.3%
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 17
Summary
Emily Gallagher, a Brooklyn assemblywoman, came under fire after saying people who steal soap and toothpaste do so out of a "biological need" and that jailing them reflects extreme wealth disparity.
At a Manhattan Criminal Court news conference, Gallagher called such cases "crimes of poverty" and urged Mayor Zohran Mamdani to abandon broken-windows policing alongside Court Watch NYC and other lawmakers.
Dave Aronberg, a former Florida prosecutor, said poverty can explain theft but is not "a permission slip to steal," arguing prosecution can still use diversion, treatment and conditional dispositions instead of jail.
Joe Imperatrice, a retired NYPD sergeant, said leaders should focus on victims and defended broken-windows tactics, while Aronberg warned Gallagher's framing could hand Republicans a public-safety attack line against Democrats.
NYPD data showed retail theft fell 16.3% citywide in the first half of 2026, a drop the department credited to targeted deployments, crime-pattern analysis and sustained investigations.