Repeat Shoplifters In New York City

The fact that lots of crime is committed by a small number of recidivists is a widely replicated result worldwide. Recidivist false 911 callers are even more concentrated in New York City.

Nearly a third of all shoplifting arrests in New York City last year involved just 327 people, the police said. Collectively, they were arrested and rearrested more than 6,000 times, Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said. Some engage in shoplifting as a trade, while others are driven by addiction or mental illness; the police did not identify the 327 people in the analysis.

The victims are also concentrated: 18 department stores and seven chain pharmacy locations accounted for 20 percent of all complaints, the police said.

From the New York Times.