Mayor Beetlejuice Blames Retailers For The Citywide Pandemic Of Smash And Grabs

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot blamed retailers for not making safety a priority amid a string of smash-and-grab thefts at retail stores in recent months.

"We still have retailers that won't institute plans like having security officers in their stores, making sure that they've got cameras that are actually operational, locking up their merchandise at night, chaining high-end bags. These purses can be something that is attracting a lot of organized retail theft units," Lightfoot said Monday.

Rob Karr, the president and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, said Chicago businesses need the "fingerprinting among leadership to stop."

"The comments that retailers need to do more are sadly misinformed. I think it ignores the fact that retailers spent hundreds of millions of dollars every year on security… We’re not going to put the entire store behind glass cases or under lock and key. Retail doesn’t work that way," Karr told FOX Business.

"We have a fine line to walk. I don’t think the mayor wants a line of armed personnel in every store."