D.A. John Flynn Joins Cheektowaga Police, Walden Galleria Mgt. to Combat Retail Crime Ahead of Holiday Shopping Season

Cheektowaga – District Attorney John J. Flynn joined Cheektowaga Police Department Chief Brian Gould and members of the Pyramid Management team at the Walden Galleria to encourage residents to support local shopping centers and small businesses this holiday season while warning prospective shoplifters that retail crimes will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. In addition to lost revenue, retail theft undermines the local economy by threatening the viability of stores and shopping centers. In recent years, incidents of organized retail crime and habitual theft throughout the country have become increasingly more brazen and violent, raising safety concerns for businesses, employees, customers, shopping district and law enforcement.

To date, members of the Cheektowaga Police Department have responded to 1,268 shoplifting-related calls throughout their jurisdiction this year, which is higher than the total numerous of calls in the past five years.

District Attorney Flynn is committed to prosecuting offenders and creating safer spaces for retailers and customers. The announcement held at the Walden Galleria was part of DA Flynn’s ongoing effort to combat organized retail theft, shoplifting and other unlawful activity occurring inside and around stores in Erie County. Two Assistant District Attorneys in the office’s Special Investigations and Prosecutions (SIP) Bureau serve on the Organized Retail Crime Task Force, a group of local law enforcement and loss prevention employees who meet regularly to investigate thefts and other retail crimes in Erie County.

In September, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office participated in National Store Walk Month, a new initiative by the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) and the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) to address the urgent issue of retail crime and its rippling impact on our communities. National Store Walk Month connects interested retailers with prosecutors who walk alongside management through stores to share information, foster mutual understanding and collaboratively develop crime mitigation strategies.

These in-person discussions aim to provide a better understanding of the challenges while creating a unified response to address and prevent retail crimes. “Shoplifting is financial devastating for retailers, especially small business owners. In addition to the negative economic impact for businesses and our community, I am deeply concerned about the serious threat that thieves pose to the safety of store employees and customers. We will continue to hold the offenders, particularly repeat offenders, accountable for these crimes. I commend the Cheektowaga Police Department and the management team at the Walden Galleria for the extra security measures they have implemented. I want the residents of Erie County to know that it is safe to shop and theft will not be tolerated,” said Erie County DA John Flynn.