A socialist lawmaker in New York recently came forward and stated that individuals who steal basic goods from stores shouldn’t be charged with a crime because they have a “biological need” for the items they take. State Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher stated her belief during a news conference held outside Manhattan Criminal Court.
Gallagher is, not shockingly, a Democrat, who represents parts of northern Brooklyn. Speaking to reporters, Gallagher said that most cases of theft that she has looked over involved folks stealing what she deemed to be essential items. She then said that arresting people over such items is akin to punishing someone for being in poverty.
“Most of what we saw were crimes of poverty-people who are stealing things like toothpaste, people who were stealing things like, you know, soap. And that means if you’re stealing those things, you need them,” the representative said in a video that was shared on X. She then said that the city protects “billion-dollar companies, like CVS and Walgreens” instead of residents struggling financially.
She then said it’s a “true crime” that people can be sent to jail “simply for having a biological need.” According to a report from The Daily Caller, Gallagher, along with other left-wing officials and advocates from Court Watch NYC, spoke at the event. The organization revealed that it tracked 360 arraignments over four days and found over half of them involved misdemeanor charges.
The officials then put heat to Mayor Zohran Mamdani, pressuring him to abandon “broken windows” enforcement that specifically targets low-level offenses. Gallagher is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and wants to exchange jail time for thieves for treatment. She supports easing punishments on fare evasion and public urination.
Gallagher shared the video clip of her statements on her own X account, including a caption that said nobody should be arrested or taken to jail over stealing toothpaste. “Incarceration separates people from their jobs, support services, and loved ones,” she wrote. Her district covers Williamsburg and Greenpoint. According to data contained in the report on Gallagher’s comments, retail theft decreased by 15.3% over the first seven months of 2026, compared to the same stretch of time in 2025.
All five boroughs experienced the decrease. As of now, the city is actually headed toward its safest year on record. Retailers have started locking more and more merchandise behind plastic cases to prevent theft. Walgreens reported taking $250,000 in losses per store because of theft, proving it’s a serious problem for many businesses.
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Councilwoman Joann Ariola spoke with the New York Post and said that lawmakers “now advocating for thievery is going to push even more of them to close shop,” a sentiment that is doubly true for small grocers who are owned by individuals within the community. Councilwoman Vickie Paladino took to social media platform X where she said that radical left-wing officials like Gallagher “want to enable this very activity.”
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video