[Natsu]

That article is playing a bunch of statistical games, like comparing 2022 to 2023 instead of to prior to the mass mob looting incidents, using national data to hide effects of primarily regional issues, citing figures with obvious reporting bias by only counting incidents reported to the police that could do nothing without caring about their severity as a way to cast doubt on the idea that they actually needed to close the stores in the problem areas.

And even then it was forced to admit that shoplifting is up even if one retailer's shrinkage numbers (which includes a lot more than just shoplifting) went down. Never mind their other interventions, like closing stores in problem areas or spending more on security.

You're right to believe your lying eyes here. There were a lot of statistical errors in the article and they all went in the same direction, working to downplay the kind of problems you witnessed first hand.