Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon is receiving social media blowback for a recent post in which she expressed bewilderment that her local CVS drug store is taking anti-shoplifting measures by locking up basic products like laundry detergent.
Cynthia Nixon — who ran unsuccessfully for New York governor in 2018 — tweeted her comment along with her disbelief shoplifting can be prosecuted as a crime. “As so many families can’t make ends meet right now, I can’t imagine thinking that the way to solve the problem of people stealing basic necessities out of desperation is to prosecute them,” she tweeted.
Her comment set off a chain of criticism, with some questioning her seemingly lax attitude toward theft and accusing her of being an out-of-touch, wealthy progressive. Others noted Tide laundry detergent has become a form of currency in certain criminal circles.
Shoplifting has recently had serious consequences in the drug store industry, where stores can operate on slim margins. A wave of shoplifting has forced Walgreens to close ten stores in San Francisco, with one store reportedly losing $1,000 a day to theft.
Some have pointed to Democrat-controlled California’s lenient attitude toward crime, with theft under $950 considered a misdemeanor. Prosecutors often decline to pursue such cases, creating incentives for more theft.
In New York, where Nixon resides, crime has skyrocketed under Mayor Bill DeBlasio (D), with crime reportedly up 30 percent citywide and robberies up 78 percent for the year so far.
Follow David Ng on Twitter @HeyItsDavidNg. Have a tip? Contact me at dng@breitbart.com
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