Philadelphia dealing with retail crime during "high holdup" season
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Macy's is reopening Wednesday, two days after a stabbing inside the iconic Center City store killed a security guard and critically injured a colleague.
Why it matters: Officials say violent crime and homicides are overall down this year. But Philadelphia has seen a steady rise in retail theft in recent years, an Axios analysis shows.
Driving the news: The suspect in the stabbing faces multiple charges, including murder, attempted murder and retail theft, prosecutors said at a news conference Tuesday.
- SEPTA police tracked the suspect on surveillance as he ran out of the store, before he was intercepted and arrested at the Somerset station.
The big picture: The stabbing comes as Philadelphia law enforcement officials look to combat an overall increase in retail crime — and a projected 20% uptick in these crimes during the 2023 holiday season, per an analysis of police data.
Details: Police say the suspect, 30-year-old Tyrone Tunnell, was confronted by security guards Monday morning allegedly trying to steal hats from the store.
- They tussled with him and recovered the stolen hats, assistant district attorney Joanne Pescatore said.
- Tunnell returned to the store 13 minutes later, allegedly fatally attacking 27-year-old security guard Eric Harrison in the men's department.
- Harrison's partner, injured while trying to subdue Tunnell, underwent surgery and remains in critical but stable condition, Pescatore said.
- Tunnell has previous convictions and arrests, including for retail theft, District Attorney Larry Krasner said during the news conference.
By the numbers: Citywide retail thefts rose more than 50% in 2022, up to 14,255 from 9,371 in 2021, per police data.
- The number of overall reported retail thefts in 2023 is up about 29% from the same time last year.
Between the lines: Fewer people are being arrested and prosecuted for retail crimes under the progressive Krasner.
- Only 409 people have been arrested for retail theft in 2023 compared to more than 1,700 in 2013, per the Inquirer.
- About a third of the theft cases resolved this year led to people pleading guilty, per the Inquirer.
Zoom in: Philadelphia has already had more than 1,760 reported retail thefts during this year's holiday season (Oct. 30-Dec. 3), an average of 353 per week.
- If that keeps pace over the next three weeks, the city will eclipse 2,800 retail thefts by Christmas compared with more than 2,300 by the same time in 2022, per our analysis.
What they're saying: Police generally see more shopliftings around this time of year, Philadelphia police spokesman Sgt. Eric Gripp tells Axios.
- "Anecdotally, it's the high holdup season," he says. "You got people walking around with cash and shopping."
Of note: A Macy's spokesperson tells Axios that shoppers will see more cops assigned to the store through the end of the month, which is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike for its massive Wanamaker Organ, light show, Dickens Village and more.
What we're watching: Krasner said his office has asked City Council for additional funding to create a task force to target "prolific" retail thieves and fencers.
- "We didn't have the internet as a marketplace 20 years ago. We need to adapt," he said.