A NEW anti-theft measure has been introduced around the iconic Macy’s flagship store.
Dog units have been deployed in parts of midtown New York City by the 34th Street Partnership.
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This trade group serves the area that includes Penn Station, Herald Square, and Madison Square Garden.
The neighborhood includes a number of large stores that have supposedly suffered greatly from retail theft.
This iconic Macy’s store is in Herald Square on 34th Street.
The program has been hailed a success by the vice president of security for the 34th Street Partnership, Kevin Ward, according to the New York Post.
Ward said: “It’s effective so far.
“We’ve had a couple of people who were known shoplifters who saw the dog and walked out without stealing anything.”
The operation was launched in February at the CVS store on Eight Avenue and West 34th Street.
Ward said: “We’ve had a lot of complaints. A lot of shoplifting occurs in drugstores.
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“We’re trying to address the issue.”
Ward, a retired police officer and former chief of staff to former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton, claimed this measure was focused on appearance in the wake of growing shoplifting.
He said: “We decided to have a very visible deterrent.”
These dogs include a Czechoslovakian Shepherd, a Belgian Malinois, and a German Shepherd.
They had been spotted wearing a black and white harness that said: “Do Not Pet.”
An initial report from 34th Street Partnership, from February 15 to 19, said that the K-9 unit prevented at least 25 cases of shoplifting.
The program supposedly costs in the “low-five figures monthly,” but the trade group claimed it was a necessary investment.