Roosevelt Island Duane Reade Vandalized This Afternoon, Merchandise Display Cases Knocked Over By Person Shoplifting

A Roosevelt Island Tipster reported this afternoon:

I got to Duane Reade at about 2:40 PM today and a man had apparently been trying to shoplift, got angry when confronted and knocked over displays.

Another resident reported Duane Reade temporarily closed to clean up.

According to store employees, nobody was injured and the shoplifter is a repeat offender known to them. The store reopened a short while later.

I asked Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Public Safety Chief Kevin Brown:

I understand that Duane Reade was vandalized today and forced to shut down.

I'm told that a shoplifter got angry when he was confronted and started to vandalize and knock down rows of display items.

Any comment from RIOC on this subject of great concern to the Roosevelt Island community?

No response from Chief Brown.

During the September 19, 2023 Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department Community Engagement Meeting, Chief Brown discussed the Roosevelt Island Duane Reade shoplifting problem.

According to Chief Brown:

... Duane Reade/Walgreens, we have a number of Petit Larcenys in that location ... we have people who are going in the store and being disruptive to the way we want go about our way of life on Roosevelt Island and that's something we're working with Walgreens, working with Public Safety. I  have a foot posting in that area. When things happen down there, we're right on top of it... ...  Working with Walgreens, I was told they would not hire a full time security guard unless one of their people are injured or hurt ....

NYC Mayor Eric Adams yesterday announced the launching of a task force to combat retail theft.

Retail theft hurts everyone, especially our mom-and-pop shops and consumers.

Meet the task force to combat retail theft: https://t.co/pKQ6UixXYm pic.twitter.com/xa2y9EMFQF

— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) November 8, 2023