CHEEKTOWAGA – Today, 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 our 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 today 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.
“I would like to express my gratitude to DA Flynn and the District Attorney’s Office for their valuable cooperation and assistance in fighting retail crime in the Town of Cheektowaga. Cheektowaga’s Retail corridor is a crucial part of the Western NY economy and the Cheektowaga Police Department is committed to protecting both the retail establishments and the shoppers who visit the stores. This is also a good time to remind all holiday shoppers to keep their vehicle doors locked and make sure that packages and personal belongings are not visible while shopping during the holiday season,” said Cheektowaga Police Chief Brian Gould.
“We’re proud to partner with the Erie County District Attorney’s Office and the Cheektowaga Police Department to address the important issue of retail theft, a challenge affecting businesses and cities nationwide,” said Stephen J. Congel, Chief Executive Officer, Pyramid Management Group, owner and operator of the Walden Galleria. “We are deeply committed to doing our part to keep the Walden Galleria and the community that supports us safe while helping law enforcement prevent and solve crime.”
Information from the Cheektowaga Police on Shoplifting Police Reports
| Year | Total Shoplifting-Related Complaints |
| 2023 (as of November 15) | 1,268 |
| 2022 | 1,230 |
| 2021 | 840 |
| 2020 | 810 |
| 2019 | 871 |
| 2018 | 815 |
NOTE: Data does not account for calls where a police report was not completed or any police reports elevated to a felony charge (burglary or robbery) related to shoplifting incident. Therefore, the data does not account for all retail theft-related incidents and the total number of incidents is believed to be higher than the data available.
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