Saritha Komatireddy, a Republican candidate for New York attorney general, has made retail theft enforcement central to her campaign, criticising Democratic Socialist rival Emily Gallagher for suggesting shoplifters should not face arrest for stealing items like toothpaste. Komatireddy, a former federal prosecutor, argues that retail theft is driven by organised gangs operating for profit rather than genuine poverty, citing examples of criminals travelling from cities like Detroit to steal and resell merchandise in New York.

Komatireddy contends that the city's lenient approach to shoplifting has enabled the problem, pointing to locked merchandise cases in pharmacies as evidence of the widespread issue. However, official data from the NYPD shows retail theft has fallen 12.8 per cent in New York this year compared with 2025. Komatireddy is running to unseat incumbent Democrat Letitia James in the November 3 election and brings a background prosecuting terrorism and organised crime leaders, along with experience at the Drug Enforcement Administration.