Part 4/8:
As insurance costs rise alongside crime rates, small businesses are caught in a bind. Thieves know they can swipe items easily, and the lack of accountability only fuels their reckless abandon. Burglaries occur in broad daylight, and unless a significant change is made to the legal footing of these actions, the cycle is unlikely to stop.
Changing Dynamics of Crime
High-end neighborhoods like Manhattan’s Upper East Side, where average rent surpasses $4,000, have not sheltered residents from this surge in criminal activity. Cardiologist Ellen Melo and other victims have felt the dangers acutely as they navigate their own neighborhoods, once considered safe.